


Frozen Truth

by 1ndecent



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternative Universe - FBI, Angst, Character Death, Corruption, Drinking, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gun Violence, Headstrong Betty Cooper, Human Trafficking, Illegal Activities, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Drug Addiction, Kidnapping, Murder Mystery, Mystery, Non-Canon Relationship, Non-Canonical Character Death, OOC, Relationship(s), Self-Harm, Sexual Content, Sexual Tension, Slow Burn, Violence, non-canon, serpents
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-10
Updated: 2019-04-19
Packaged: 2019-10-25 19:49:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 29,975
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17731517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1ndecent/pseuds/1ndecent
Summary: When Betty Cooper returned to her hometown in the fall of her sophomore year of college, she found herself wrapped up in a mystery larger and more dangerous than she ever imagined. After a narrow escape with the help of a kind group of strangers that took her in when she had no one else, Betty fights for the answers she desperately needs, and for the life she never got to have.





	1. Flash Freeze

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone, I won't bore you here with too many notes as I hope the story speaks for itself, but I do have one thing I need to mention! While there will be plenty of fluff and happy moments, this is going to be a story with some very dark elements. Please note the tags, which I will do my best to add more as they are needed. If you have any questions or concerns please don't hesitate to reach out on tumblr 1ndecentstories. Enjoy!

_The Past_

Elizabeth ‘Betty’ Cooper was born and raised in the town of Berne, New York. She lived with her parents, Alice and Hal Cooper, and her two older siblings Chic and Polly. Outwardly, they seemed like any other family; normal. Beneath the surface, however, the Cooper home was broken. Her mother, Alice, had only wanted two children, a fact she made abundantly clear in how she treated her third, Betty. Once, in a drunken fit, she had told her youngest daughter that she was a mistake, unwanted. She remembered that day clearly, the first day her nails broke into the flesh of her palms as her mother shouted profanities at her. She remembered how Chic had comforted her after, telling her he was so happy to have her as his little sister. He was always there for her when their mother would lash out. He was her rock, her biggest supporter. Slowly things started to change and the pair began to grow apart. Chic started high school when Betty was in fifth grade; he grew up and left her behind. It felt like he never had time for his littlest sister anymore, always off with his new friends or at football practice. Betty told herself that it was okay, though, because at least he was still there when she really needed him.

Then Chic left for college in Pennsylvania. Betty was three weeks into her freshman year of high school when he went, and she knew the next four years would be difficult without him. She and Polly had never been that close, and they only grew further apart when Polly started dating. It had always been Chic and Betty against the world; but now he was gone and it felt as though the world was only getting bigger, threatening to swallow her whole. Her mother began to drink more heavily after Chic moved out, days later blaming Betty for him choosing a school so far from home. It was the first time she was berated by her mother without Chic to comfort her. That night, as Betty wished he would come back home, her father came to console her. It wasn’t that her and her father had a poor relationship, he’d just always felt very… disconnected. Even so, she was grateful for his comfort, and from then on the two forged a new bond. While it may not have been a typical father/daughter relationship, it was enough to get Betty through the next four years.

•••••••••

When it was Betty’s turn to leave for college in August, Alice didn’t even pull her drunken self out of bed. Alice had softened towards Betty ever so slightly once Polly left for Stanford the year before, but not enough that she could say she was surprised when she had told her mother that she loved her and received no response. Though Betty would never admit it, she’d spent her entire high school career fighting for her mother’s approval—for her acknowledgment, even. It never came. As Hal had walked her out, telling her how proud he was of her, she tried not to think about the fact that she was starting her freshman year of college at Hamilton in one of the best writing programs in the country and yet her mother couldn’t even pretend to care. She nodded, fighting in vain against the tears she felt threaten to spill. She cried as her dad pulled her into a tight hug that somehow, behind all the emotion of the day, had felt cold and lonely. She tried not to think much of it as she said her final goodbyes and took off down the street towards her new life.

•••••••••

Though the disappearances had started not even a week after Betty left home, it wasn’t until the first body was found almost three weeks later that she caught wind of the tragedy unfolding in her hometown. She had been preparing herself dinner when the image of her childhood best friend flashed across the small tv in the dorm kitchen. Ethel Muggs had only been eighteen years old when she went missing. She had always been a troubled girl, constantly picked on and rarely ever included. That was, until she’d met Betty. The girls had gone to school together for as long as she could remember, but they never spoke much until fifth grade, when both of Betty’s siblings had moved on to different schools. At first, Ethel was quiet and perhaps even timid, but Betty never pushed her to open up. In time, their lunch conversations became more involved and before long the girls were almost inseparable.

During middle school they would frequently spend time together at the Mugg’s residence, even having weekly sleepovers. Unfortunately, as so often is the case, once the girls got to high school their relationship began to shift. They fell into different social circles, and before long the sleepovers stopped. They’d exchange pleasantries in the hallway and the occasional homework text, but they were merely acquaintances by then, if one could even consider them that. She remembered the day the rumours started, just before the end of junior year. Ethel had hooked up with Nick St. Clair in Fox Forest. Betty had went to check on her that day after school only to find her crying in her room. It was the first time the two had spent time together outside of school in ages. As the girls became close again, Betty would later discover that the so-called “hookup” was not consensual.

She felt a tinge of guilt, a guilt she didn’t understand at the time, when she saw that Ethel Muggs was found dead in Fox Forest after having been missing for over two weeks. She had been tied to a tree, her wrists slit wide. In what one could only assume to be her own blood, the word ‘SLUT’ was written across her bare chest. Betty tried not think about it, but despite her best efforts she was unable to sleep for almost a week. She stopped attending classes and was barely submitting assignments when she’d been called to a meeting with her advisor, snapping her back to reality. If she didn’t pull herself together, she would have been at risk of losing her scholarship. Luckily, if there was one thing Betty Cooper was good at, it was ignoring the rest of the world and immersing herself in her work.

•••••••••

The next time Betty saw a ghost from her past was in October, when the smiling face of Nick St. Clair popped up on her facebook timeline, messages of love and anguish flooding his profile. She had felt a sting in her palms as her fingers instinctively curled inward at the sight of his dark curly hair, the mischievous glint his eyes held. Betty relaxed her hand and exhaled, trying to calm herself. She had been so angry, Nick St. Clair was not the kind of person that deserved to be mourned, yet there he was, being showered with adoration in the afterlife. She’d felt her blood boil and something inside of her wanted to know what happened; she needed to know how he died.

Before she could begin her search, she’d received a text from her father. It was a link to an article surrounding Nick’s death. It felt like a weird coincidence, but she didn’t let it nag at her as she curiously opened the link. Nick had gone missing only days after Ethel, and much like her, Nick had been found in Fox Forest weeks later with his wrists slit wide. The main difference in the circumstances of their deaths was that where Ethel had been labeled a slut, the word ‘RAPIST’ adorned Nick’s chest. Betty wished to silence the small voice in the back of her head, the one that whispered the thoughts she could never dare to say aloud. The one that said he deserved it.

•••••••••

A month later, the FBI took over the investigation into the country’s latest serial killer, already being called The Judge by his twisted supporters. There was a special operations unit referred to as the BSK unit hot on the case of their lead suspect; one piece of concrete evidence away from being ready to make the arrest. There had been a third body found in the town of Berne, that of a sixteen year old Melody Valentine. The scene was identical to the previous killings, her sin written across her chest as she was bared for the world to see. ‘ADDICT’. About a month after Melody was found, after the FBI established their serial killer was almost certainly a resident of Berne, they had devised a bold plan. Luckily for them, the FBI’s newest recruit happened to be native to Berne, to the home of their lead suspect. So when Chic Cooper was immediately brought into a classified serial killer investigation he couldn’t have been more excited. He was asked to go undercover in his hometown to see if he could find any clues as to who The Judge really was. They hadn’t bother to mention to Chic that his father was the man they were after, not wanting to risk him acting in such a way that he may blow his cover.

Chic had just started on the path towards a masters in criminal justice when, in what he initially considered to be an unbelievable turn of events, he had met a gentlemen by the name of Kevin Keller. Alas, it wasn’t that Chic had just happened to be in the right place at the right time when the man, who was an FBI agent, had insisted he consider joining the Bureau. Chic would soon learn that it was all part of a bigger plan. The FBI needed someone very particular for a mission they were planning, someone so specific that it could only be him. Even without any details it didn’t take much convincing, and Chic passed all intelligence and physical exams with no difficulty; turns out he was a natural. He began training that fall and now here he was, returning to his childhood home.

•••••••••

After seven months that seemed like an eternity, Chic was growing frustrated with what felt like a dead end investigation. More people were being killed and yet, he still wasn’t finding any answers. He felt that he was no closer to knowing who had deemed themselves Judge, juror, and executioner of his quiet little hometown. He’d had his suspicions, of course, but he had no proof. He was desperate for answers but it had been months since he’d heard from Agent Minetta, the man in charge of the BSK unit. The last time they’d spoken he had kept asking Chic about his family, what his parents had been doing. When he tried to ask Minetta why he was being so persistent, he was simply told that they just wanted to make sure they had the whole picture, every detail being important in an investigation of this nature.

Chic could feel it, that they were keeping him out of the loop. They knew more than they were letting on and he wanted to know what. He needed to know. He had tried to contact Agent Keller, the man who had become a sort of mentor to him, but was only given more vague statements that skirted the initial questions. The lack of direct answers spoke volumes, in this case, and Chic was becoming more convinced of his suspicions with each passing day. He didn’t want to, but he was finally beginning to accept the fact that maybe, just maybe, his father was the man he had been sent to investigate all along.

•••••••••

_Friday, September 12, 2014_

Chic had been digging around in his father’s study for answers, his heart pounding in his chest when he heard the front door unlock. He quickly returned the room to its original state, spare the one book he took from the bookshelf in case he was questioned. He quickly calmed himself as he left the room, freezing at the sight of the young woman standing in the doorway. She was the spitting image of their mother, bright green eyes framed by strongly arched brows, her dark blonde hair pulled into a tight ponytail, accentuating her striking features. She smiled at him shyly as she shifted her small frame, oddly nervous at seeing her big brother for the first time in so long. He smiled in return; she definitely wasn’t his _little_ sister anymore.

Betty had stayed at Hamilton over the summer, taking an internship at a print shop in Syracuse. It was the first time she had returned home since she left for college; the first time Chic had seen her in years. He couldn’t believe how much she’d grown up. As she stood there watching him, he suddenly felt guilty for not coming to visit her after he’d gotten into a fight with Alice the first time he’d returned home. He didn’t even remember what they’d fought about, which only made him feel worse. He couldn’t imagine what Betty had gone through without him there. He wanted to apologise, but instead he just opened his arms for her, laughing as she happily jumped into his embrace.

•••••••••

_Sunday, September 14, 2014_

The Weekend had been short, and as much as Chic had wished his sister could stay, he was happy to know that she would soon return to the safety of a town hours away. On Sunday night, Betty was upstairs preparing herself for the return trip, their parents down stairs cleaning up from dinner. He was about to go downstairs to help his parents when his phone suddenly vibrated. It was text from Agent Mantle, another member of the BSK unit, saying that Agent Minetta needed to meet him at the usual spot. He hadn’t even finished reading the text when it was followed quickly by the word ‘NOW’. After months of no contact, Chic new it had to be important for their supervisor to be summoning him. He poked his head in to Betty’s room to tell her he was going to the supermarket to get some ice cream real quick.

“Don’t you dare leave before I get back,” he told her as he suddenly hugged her, the urge to do so overwhelming him. He couldn’t rationalise it, he just knew he had to.

Betty watched her brother leave her room, trying to figure out why he was being so weird about ice cream. She heard the front door close and shrugged her shoulders, closing her own door. She was going back to campus tonight but she hadn’t even started to pack yet. She heard Chic’s car pull out of the driveway and decided to just get it over with now so that she could be on the road after dessert; she didn’t want to be driving home too late. While she gathered her things she thought about how much she missed her brother the past few years, about how good it was to see him again. She decided she was going to ask him if they could make a deal to visit each other from now on. She didn’t want to live her life without her brother anymore.

She was pulled from her thoughts when she heard voices wafting in from outside, voices she didn’t recognise. She froze for a second, trying to make out what was being said. When the voices stopped she carefully made her way to the slightly open window, barely pushing the curtain back. She let out a small sigh of relief at the empty street below. Why was she being so paranoid? Betty sighed as she gently closed the window, securely latching it in place. She turned to go get her phone from the charger downstairs when this time there was no mistaking it; a man’s voice coupled with the swift opening of the front door.

“FBI, freeze.”

She could tell his voice was calm and assertive, but it was muffled. Betty stood completely still, paralyzed with fear. She closed her eyes and tried to focus herself. The man continued and she realised it was coming from downstairs. She opened her eyes and carefully went to crack her bedroom door open, just enough that she could hear what was happening. Her breath caught in her throat as she listened, the man’s voice carried clear into her room through the open door.

“...was you that killed those people. I know it, you know it, everyone knows it but somehow you’re still a free man. That ends tonight.”

“On what grounds?” A familiar voice spat back. Her heart dropped, she knew that voice too well, she grew up with that voice. Her mind was reeling and against her better judgement she dared to look at the scene unfolding downstairs. She pushed the door slowly as she carefully poked her head out of her room. Her father stood at the foot of the stairs, vacant green eyes locked onto the tall hispanic man dressed in a black suit that was standing in the doorway. He looked like someone that would be in the FBI; mysterious but with a powerful presence. One might say he seemed cocky, especially if they had been able to see the way his face contorted in anger at Hal’s reply; “You have nothing.”

Hal chose his words carefully, his face remaining calm. Betty could see the slight twitch in her father’s temple as he stared down the man in front of him. They were clearly challenging each other, both waiting for the other to move first. She found herself more intrigued than scared at this point, merely wondering what this man wanted with her father. Betty was tempted to shift further out of her doorway for a better view, but stopped short when she heard the front door close. A blonde woman Betty hadn’t seen before then walked up behind the man in black, smirking over his shoulder as he spoke.

“You’re going to confess, or the world is going to think that The ‘great’ Judge committed a rather tragic suicide when he couldn’t cope with the overwhelming guilt of killing his own wife….”

The smug look that had found its way to Hal’s face at the mention of ‘The Judge’ didn’t falter as the agent lifted his weapon to the the head of a terrified Alice Cooper, who was cowering on the couch. Panic overtook Betty as every fiber of her being told her to back away from the door, but it was like she had been nailed to the floor, unable to move. She felt the tears fall down her face as her father removed a gun from his waistband, pointing it towards the man in black. The man’s face was unbothered as Hal cocked the weapon aimed at his head, though Betty could see the tension forming in his forearm.

“I don’t feel guilt.”

Her father’s quiet words cut through the fog in Betty’s head. She watched in horror as her father swiftly shifted his aim to her mother, unable to contain the gasp that escaped her as he pulled the trigger. A deafening BANG rang through the house and she hurried backwards. As soon as she was clear of the door, she as quickly and quietly as possible stole away into her closet. She could no longer hear what was transpiring downstairs through the ringing in her ears, but she could only imagine it wasn’t good. She didn’t know what to do so she did the only thing she could think to do: write. She dug a notebook out of her old backpack, tucked away in the corner of her closet.

Betty began to write anything and everything she could think. She wrote as quickly as her hand would allow her, pouring her account of the evening onto the page in front of her. She ignores the tears stinging in her eyes and keeps writing, almost done when she hears another shot fired. Her ears are ringing again as she quickly finishes and pulls the page from the notebook. When she can finally hear again she realises that it’s quiet now, almost too quiet. She ever so slightly pushes the shuttered doors of her closet open and carefully slips her finger behind the peeling wallpaper panel just outside of her closet.

“There are three pairs of shoes at the door, there’s someone else here,” a voice says downstairs. Betty hadn’t heard this man yet, but he sounded nervous, maybe even a little apprehensive.

“Well then FIND THEM!”

The man in black’s words hit Betty so hard she felt like the wind had been knocked out of her. They’re looking for her. They know she’s there. She quickly slides the note into the pocket created by the wallpaper, hoping that someone will find it. She then retreats into her hiding place, working to calm her erratic breaths as she fights the sobs trying to escape her. Her hands are on fire as her nails embed themselves into her palms, no longer having the task of writing to keep her at bay. Her breath catches as she hears steps ascending the stairs. This is it. She inhales with the soft creak of her bedroom door opening. Silent tears are falling hot down her cheeks and suddenly her closet door is thrown wide open.

Betty looks up taking in the furrowed brow and strong jawline of the man standing over her. Like the man downstairs, he too was wearing a suit, but this man had to be much younger, maybe her brother’s age. Honestly, he looked scared shitless. His dark eyes dart around the room as he shifts his weight in discomfort. He hesitantly holds his rough hand out to Betty and she looks at him incredulously; as if he really thinks she’s just going to go with him. He sighs in frustration and looks at her for a second, as if pleading her to move. She was considering his offer when she saw his expression go hard as another set of footsteps approached. He stood up straight, pulling his hand back as the man in black entered the room.

“Good work, Agent Mantle,” the man in black pats the younger man on the back roughly. “She’ll do, I guess.”

Betty feels a shiver run up her spine at the words. She doesn’t know what these people want from her, but she knows that she is not interested in finding out. While the men are distracted, she as swiftly as possible makes a break for the door. She knows she most likely won’t make it far, but she has to at least try. Much to her surprise, she’s not caught immediately by Agent Mantle as she suspected she would be, but instead is captured by the man in black. She goes limp in his arms, knowing it’s futile to fight as she hangs her head in defeat.

“Come on Minetta,” Mantle says softly. Minetta shoots him a look, sneering as he lays into him.

“THIS,” he begins in a fury. “IS ALL YOUR FAULT! _HOW_ on Earth did you not know she was here? _You_ were supposed to be keeping tabs on them, making sure something like this wouldn’t happen. _You_ were supposed to make sure that everyone was where we discussed. _You_ screwed up kid, and now I don’t have anyone for Edgar since Hal is DEAD because _you_ sent us in blind. So unless _YOU_ want to be the guinea pig this time, I suggest you get this girl out of here and make it look like her deranged, psychopathic father did the dirty work! Do you understand me!?”

Mantle nods his head solemnly, though Betty begins to panic, not quite sharing that same understanding. She’s about to protest when she feels a sharp prick on her neck and the world begins to fade around her. The last thing she hears as her body falls limp again in Minetta’s arms are his orders to Agent Mantle.

“I’ll call it in to the local sheriff, tell him Hal must’ve dealt with her earlier, there was no trace of her here. Penny’s downstairs cleaning up your mess, making it look like Hal killed his wife then shot himself. Mark her up a bit, use his belt, his shoes; shit, use anything you can find on him to make her bleed. Use his nails, give her some good scratches. I don’t care, use your imagination, but make it pretty. Make it look like she put up a fight.”

•••••••••

_Tuesday, September 16, 2014_

Betty felt the gentle rumble of a car as she began to stir. She blinked her eyes sleepily as she tried to make sense of her surroundings. She had no idea where she was or what time it was, only that the last thing she had been sure of was that she was going to die. As she contemplated her next move, staring at the black interior of the unfamiliar car, she heard a low voice. She closed her eyes again, deciding it would be best if no one knew she was awake. If she played her cards right, she may be able to get some answers. She quickly recognised the voice as the man that had found her in the closet, Agent Mantle. Betty could tell he was on the phone, hearing a static laced voice in response, but was unable to make out the words.

“Yes sir, we just made it to Scottsdale.”

There was silence as he listened to the voice on the other end of the receiver.

“We’re about twenty minutes away, if you want to tell Mr. Evernever… no, she’s slept the whole time, barely even moved…. Okay, sir.”

He hung up the phone and sighed. Betty chanced a glance as Agent Mantle slid his hands down his prominent chin in frustration. They made eye contact for a moment so short, Betty wasn’t even sure it happened. She quickly closed her eyes, hoping she was imagining things, but when she felt a prick in her neck she knew beyond a doubt that it had really happened. She had blown her cover and that was that. The world went black again and if she didn’t know better, she could’ve sworn she heard him apologise.

•••••••••

Agent Mantle carried the seemingly lifeless body of Betty Cooper from the nondescript black car they’d just spent the last day and a half in. Somehow, she was surprised to find herself vaguely aware of what was happening to her. She was dipping in and out of consciousness as she was carried into a very sterile looking room. She suddenly felt cold metal on her back as she realised she had been stripped sometime between exiting the car and now. She could tell no one was watching her at that moment and every molecule of her being screamed at her to run, yet she wasn’t in control of her body. She couldn’t even open her eyes.

“Reggie, what the hell is this?”

A woman’s voice; she sounded young, panicked. Betty tried to make sense of what was happening. Was the woman referring to her? She was angry when she heard the voice of Agent Mantle in response, it was his fault she was here.

“I don’t know,” he blurted. “I’m freaking out, Midge. He said it was her or me. I panicked! I’m just doing what I’m told, I—”

His sentence was cut short as a door opened across the room. Betty could hear the change in the air, the sudden tension brought about by the newest guest. She could feel herself slowly gaining more control of herself, which only worried her that she would soon be discovered.

“Mr. Mantle, I hate to break it to you but this isn’t Hal Cooper.”

There was something cold and empty about the voice that spoke, it sent a shiver up Betty’s spine. A moment later she felt cold fingers trail down her bare arm. She willed herself not to react, not to shake, shudder, nor flinch. The contact lifted and she felt her body relax slightly in relief. She dared to think that maybe she would be okay when a white hot heat tore through her from her collar bone. She cursed her body as it sprung to life, forced by the pain radiating throughout her chest. His eyes were cold, calculating as he pressed his thumb further into the fresh wound on her collarbone. He grinned menacingly, holding Betty’s terrified gaze in his own.

“There was a change of plans,” Reggie said, taking the man’s attention from Betty. She felt her body go limp when the agonizing pressure was finally released. “The situation took an unexpected turn and he didn’t make it. Agent Minetta had told me to bring her, instead. She’s his daughter, Elizabeth Cooper.”

“Won’t anyone be looking for her?” The man asked curiously as he walked around to the small woman on the other side of the table, Midge. Betty watched through glassy eyes, noticing how the woman stiffened at his touch.

“No, Mr. Evernever,” Reggie replied, struggling to swallow his guilt before continuing. “As far as anyone is concerned, she was another victim of The Judge.”

Mr. Evernever smiled a toothy grin as he looked back down at Betty. The way his eyes ran over her made her skin crawl.

“Midge,” he started as he looked at the woman, his voice too sweet, fake even.

“Mr. Evernever.”

“I know this is a little unorthodox, but if you want to continue to work here, I’m sure you understand.”

Midge closed her eyes, feeling the meaning beneath his words. Do as she was told, or face the consequences. Betty watched nervously as Mr. Evernever grabbed a syringe from a nearby surgical tray. He then turned his face back to her. His skin was sallow, his eyes grey and empty as he gave her a haunting smile. She felt his cold hands on her face, turning her head. He gently traced her cheekbone, a glint in his eye as she winced at the pain of his thumb passing over a cut she was unaware of until that moment. Before she could fight back, she felt the needle pierce the skin of her neck and Mr. Evernever released her face from his grip. Her head fell back to the table and she briefly caught the sad eyes of Midge as she slowly slipped from consciousness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone for reading, I hope that you enjoyed this chapter, it was a lot of fun to write and I'm very excited about where this story is heading! My plan is to be at least a chapter ahead to allow time for edits and to post every Sunday. For anyone wondering, I'm almost finished with the third chapter already, so I may post Chapter Two early! The first two chapters serve mostly to set the stage for the main story line, which is told primarily from Betty's perspective. I really hope that you are as excited as I am to get into the heart of this story! The tags are currently lacking, specifically when it comes to relationships. I will update the tags as more chapters are added. Again, if you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out.
> 
> Update: To anyone who is only now reading my story for the first time, I must warn you that my plans of posting weekly have not been going that well. I promise to try and post more regularly moving forward, but probably not as frequently.


	2. Escape

_Tuesday, March 3, 2015_

Agent Minetta placed his coffee cup firmly on the table next to him, turning towards the muted TV in the break room of the Albany branch FBI building. An image on the news had caught his attention, as well as that of Agent Mantle, who was sitting across the table from him. They turned the volume up as the reporter spoke, “Elizabeth Cooper, the daughter of the infamous serial killer Hal Cooper aka The Judge, has officially been declared dead. Officials are stating that due to the combination of forensic evidence found on Hal’s body and the fact that there has been no sign of the Cooper girl after six months of searching, it’s doubtful that she will ever be found. Local police are saying she was likely another victim of her father’s heinous—”

With that, Minetta visibly relaxed as he leaned back in his chair, muting the TV again. He sighed, retrieving his coffee cup from the table. He motioned it towards Reggie, a stern look set on his face as he spoke, “You’re lucky this shit worked out.”

Just then, the break room door opened and in walked Chic Cooper. The men at the table stiffened as Chic looked back and forth between the two, not liking the tension of the room. The men nodded at him as he made his way to the coffee pot, only there for a refill. Sweat was forming on Reggie’s brow and he shifted uncomfortably. Without even looking at the TV Chic could see the familiar face of his little sister on the screen. He turned to look out the window into the courtyard as he thought back to the night that he went to meet Minetta, the night he was told that his father had taken his family.

He’d since found it suspicious that it had been almost an hour before Minetta arrived to their ‘urgent’ meeting. When Chic had asked why he needed to be there immediately while Minetta clearly took his sweet ass time, he was just given some lame excuse about getting stuck with “a case thing”. Even weirder than that was the fact that he never did find out why he was there. Before they had a chance to talk, Minetta had gotten a call from Reggie that they needed to get to the Cooper house. Something was off about that night and Chic wanted answers. He couldn’t explain it but he knew his sister wasn’t dead, he could feel it. He didn’t trust Minetta. Not then, and especially not now. He nodded his coffee cup in their direction as he left the room. They were hiding something and he was going to find out what.

•••••••••

_Friday, April 10, 2015_

Chic and Kevin were sitting on the musty leather couch of the harshly lit break room, the smell of burnt coffee hanging heavy in the air. The men were staring blankly at the news as they waited for their meeting with the branch supervisor, Executive Assistant Director Waldo Weatherbee. Though Chic had felt like he had failed on his first case, he more than proved himself in his next investigation. He and Agent Keller had been assigned to investigate a drug ring, and handled the operation in such a way that they finished nearly two months ahead of schedule. They worked well together, bringing out each other’s strengths and quickly becoming the golden boys of the department. As such, it came as no surprise when they were requested for a highly classified investigation by their supervisor, with approval from the man at the top, Director Featherhead.

Weatherbee had begun to suspect his head of the Criminal Investigative Division when he noticed a pattern in the cases he was leading. Though he was very picky with regards to the cases he led, as they were always either murder or kidnapping cases, he still managed to lead about six cases a year. It wasn’t common for department heads to work lead on many cases, as they were generally assisting multiple cases at once, but Agent Michael Minetta wasn’t a common department head. Most of the agents that worked under Minetta didn’t think much of it, merely assuming he was only interested in high profile cases so he’d stand out as a candidate to replace Weatherbee when he finally decided to retire.

It was no secret that Minetta was vying for Weatherbee’s job, which was the main reason Featherhead had approved his request to start a classified investigation. He’d always had a soft spot for Weatherbee. So when Weatherbee had come to him expressing concerns about his potential successor, he felt it perfectly reasonable to make sure they knew exactly who they were giving that power to. He trusted his former partner’s instincts, and with good reason— they’d saved his life more than a few times in the past. Weatherbee and Featherhead had worked countless cases together in their prime, before moving on to higher positions. They saw themselves in the young agents, deeming them perfect for their investigation.

Weatherbee entered the room and motioned for the two agents on the couch to come with him. The men nodded and followed their supervisor down a long corridor. They stopped when they reached a security checkpoint, surprised when Weatherbee told the security worker to prepare them new clearance cards for after their meeting. Chic couldn’t help but shoot an excited smile at Kevin, who returned a face that clearly said, ‘calm down’. When they reached his office, they sat across from Weatherbee’s desk as the older man slowly lowered himself into his chair. He cleared his throat as he folded his dark hands on the rich wood in front of him, telling the young men across from him that he had a job for them.

•••••••••

_Tuesday, October 23, 2018_

Reggie had been sentenced to desk duty after the BSK incident, Minetta not letting him on any of the cases he’d wanted. He knew he’d fucked up letting them continue that operation when Betty had been home, but this had been unfair. Things had been strained between the two since then, with Minetta frequently pretending Reggie didn’t exist as anything more than someone that did paperwork. He frequently would sneak away to the break room on slow days, doing whatever he could to stay out of Minetta’s way. Today, however, they found themselves sitting in tense silence in the  room that felt much smaller than usual. Reggie was sitting on the couch, watching some old cable rerun while trying to ignore the sound of Minetta typing furiously at the table behind him. Suddenly, Minetta slams his fists on the table, causing Reggie to jump at the sound.

“SHIT,” Minetta exclaims, his dark eyes watering as his face turns red with the rage boiling inside of him. Reggie hesitates before giving him an inquisitive look, not sure what to expect. Minetta exhales harshly before continuing in an uncharacteristically calm manner. “I just got an email from the Sheriff over in Berne; that Cooper bitch left a note in her fucking wall. Help me with some damage control, and maybe I’ll let you live.”

Reggie swallows as he nods his head, knowing that this was not an empty threat. If there was anything he’d learned working with Minetta for the last four years, it was that under no circumstances did you want to be on his bad side.

“Good. You and Penny are going to Arizona to inform Mr. Evernever of our current… predicament. Tell him we have maybe two days so he can get whatever data he needs, but tell him he has to start the process as soon as possible. Once he gets that, we’re finishing this and dumping the girl’s body. I’m going to Berne to get that fucking note before anyone else catches wind of it. We can’t risk anyone seeing it until we know what it says.”

“What if other people want to know what it said?” Reggie ventures hesitantly.

“Well, if it’s incriminating, we’ll doctor one in our favor. If it somehow helps us, even better. I’ll call you with specifics once I find out what we’re up against. Don’t fuck this one up.”

••••••••• 

_Wednesday, October 24, 2018_

“14715 North 78th Way in Scottsdale,” Reggie said as he and Penny climbed in the back seat of the sleek black vehicle waiting for them at the Phoenix International Airport. The driver nodded as they headed East on the I-10. He stared out the window at the passing cars as Penny played on her phone, still buzzed from all the drinks she’d had on the plane. At least she didn’t have a care in the world. Reggie couldn’t calm his nerves; he was terrified of what Minetta would do to him if he fucked this up. He knew the only reason Penny was with him right now was to babysit him and he resented it.

Thirty minutes later they pulled up to a security booth sitting outside of a formidable looking facility. There was a large, warehouse style building paneled in white painted sheets of steel, the only small windows being at least twenty feet up. Behind it were giant barrels with pipes leading into the main building, and beyond those were smokestacks for the facility’s power generators. The land used to be owned by a company named Cryogenics International, but had since be purchased as a private Cryonics facility by none other than one Edgar Evernever. The security guard looked unamused when Reggie rolled down his window.

“Name?” he asked flatly.

“My partner and I are here on behalf of Michael Minetta,” Reggie responded, pointing his thumb at Penny, still on her phone beside him.

The guard checked his list before buzzing them in, rolling his eyes as Reggie waved to him. They pulled around the back of the main building, where they were met by Mr. Evernever’s daughter, Evelyn. She began working for her father two years ago after she graduated college. Reggie wasn’t sure if he trusted her or not, but still he smiled at her, entering through the service door she held open for them. They walked into a room that was so massive Reggie figured it had to take up at least half of the building. It was full of large vats and chambers, the hum of machines amplified by the warehouse style of the room.

Reggie sees Midge sitting at a computer a few feet away _._ He looks around the room and walks over to her as Evelyn leaves to fetch her father; Penny still glued to her phone by the door. He leans his arm across the top of the monitors in front of Midge and she looks up quickly, surprised by the figure suddenly in front of her. She gives him a small smile, and he smirks at her before he speaks in a low, husky voice.

“I need you to trust me and act like I’m flirting with you. Go ahead, giggle.”

She’s about to make a face at him when she sees the desperation flicker in his eyes. Somehow, she’s able to force a convincing giggle despite her confusion.

“Thank you, now the blonde woman glued to her phone. If she looks up, hit my arm. Otherwise, just sit there and play along. Nod if you’re with me so far.”

She had so many questions, but she found herself playing into it, leaning forward on her elbows as she bobbed her head slightly.

“I need your help. Now I need to warn you, it might be dangerous, but it’s the right thing—”

The door opened as Evelyn returned with her father, him clearly not expecting to have company. Reggie jumped slightly, surprised at how quickly they arrived. Without missing a beat, he spoke to Midge, loud enough for everyone to hear as he held out his phone.

“So, what do ya say, can I get your number?”

Mr. Evernever looked at the exchange and smiled, though his eyes were vacant as Midge entered her information. Reggie quickly tucked his phone back into his pocket, looking bashful as he walked over to Mr. Evernever. He held out his hand, the two exchanging a firm handshake. Before letting go, Mr. Evernever pulled Reggie towards him, speaking in a hushed tone.

“If I ever catch you flirting with my employees again….”

Reggie understood without him even finishing his sentence. It seemed like everyone was threatening him now. He apologised quietly as Penny walked up to the two, an amused grin on her face. She patted Reggie on the back and turned a smile to Mr. Evernever.

“As much as I’d love to see what you have planned for my partner here, I think we have bigger fish to fry at the moment.”

He gave her a curious look, finding her oddly endearing. He could tell she was a troublemaker and he liked it. Mr. Evernever nodded his head, turning and motioning for the agents to follow him to his office, but not before giving Reggie one final look of disapproval. He didn’t know why Minetta sent his two lackeys instead of coming himself, but he figured it must be important.

•••••••••

After their meeting with Mr. Evernever, Penny and Reggie went to check into their hotel to wait for Minetta, who was supposed to be joining them tomorrow morning. Penny immediately went to the pool, making some crass remark about how she needed to get laid. As soon as she left the room, he texted Midge that he didn’t have much time and to call him as soon as she was somewhere she wouldn’t be overheard. He paced the room frantically for the next ten minutes, trying to figure out what he was going to say. He had to help that girl, it was his fault she was in this situation in the first place. He figured if she could just survive long enough for him to catch Minetta, she’d have a chance at a normal life. He was also hoping, that if it came down to it, maybe he would then be offered clemency.

He was pulled from his thoughts when he saw an incoming call from Midge. He exhaled to calm his nerves as he lifted the phone to his face. “Are you alone?”

“Yeah, I’m driving around on my lunch break. I only have about twenty minutes, though, so you need to start talking now.”

“I’ll give you the condensed version because we don’t have time to get into details. That girl I brought here four years ago, Elizabeth Cooper, is in grave danger. We need to get her out of there and somewhere that they won’t find her.”

“What, how? She’s—”

“I know but not for long! That’s what we were talking about today; your boss is going to have you start the revival process tomorrow and then they’re going to expect me to get rid of her, if you catch my drift. You gotta start it earlier and get her out of there. We can’t let them get her. I would do it, but they’d know it was me, they’d kill me. God, they’d kill me without a second thought!”

“Okay, okay but first, two questions. Why is she in danger, and who are ‘they’?”

“She’s in danger because she has the ability to get a lot of very bad people, in very big trouble, and they would kill her in a heartbeat before they’d let that happen. ‘They’ being my supervisor and his goons. I need you to get her somewhere safe until we have enough information to take them down.”

There’s a brief pause before Midge replies, “I might know some people that can help. Let me make some calls and I’ll get back to you.”

“Okay and what if they can’t?” he asks, a tinge of panic in his voice. “What’s our backup plan?”

“Well, let’s hope we don’t need one.”

•••••••••

After talking to Reggie, Midge pulled into an empty parking lot and started a text to the only person she could think of that would be able to help; Jughead Jones. The two had grown up together in a town called Beaumont in Southern California. His father had basically taken her in as his own when she was eight and her father had died of cancer. Her mother was a flight attendant, and would frequently have to leave for days at a time. Jughead and his father, FP, always housed Midge when her mother would have to go. When she got older, she would babysit Jughead and Jellybean when FP had to work late. Their little families became one for those thirteen years, until Midge moved to Arizona for her job. They always managed to keep in touch and she visited the Jones’ whenever she could; as such, she was one of the few people aware of the curious group of people FP Jones had led for the past two decades.

They called themselves The Serpents, a group that could best be described as an organised crime ring. The only people who knew about the serpents were either members, family, or those in need of very… particular services. Despite their ‘occupation’, the Serpents were some of the kindest people she’d ever met. They were very careful in the jobs they took, never doing things that were likely to hurt innocent people. Midge knew that if there was anywhere Betty would be safe, if would be with them. She sent the text, dropping her phone into her lap, the words staring back at her.

_J, I need a big favor. I only have about fifteen minutes. I need you to call me. NOW._

After a minute the screen went black and she leaned her head back, praying her phone would ring. The seconds seemed to drag on for hours and with each passing one she could feel the panic rising inside of her. Her eyes opened wide when she heard the familiar ring, the vibration on her thigh. She quickly answered, relief washing over her.

“Midge Klump,” she could hear the smile in his smooth voice. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“I don’t have many details to give, nor the time to try, but if I were to ask you to help someone who probably won’t survive otherwise what would you say?”

“What do you need me to do?”

Midge couldn’t help the smile that broke across her face at his eagerness to help, proud of the man he was becoming. “I need to get a girl out of here, out of this town and out of the public eye. I have a friend that works at a hospital two hours away from here in Tucson, last time we talked, he said they’d had to shut down a whole wing due to budget cuts. I’ll see if he can hide her there for a few days until she can be moved again. If I get her to that point, do you think you guys could take it from there?”

“That sounds doable.”

“What about me?”

“You know you’re always welcome. How long do we have to prepare?”

“Well, I have to move her tomorrow and she’ll take maybe two days to recover…,” she winced slightly at the silence on the other end of the line, waiting a moment before asking, “Is that not enough time?”

“No, it just complicates things a little,” he started. Midge held her breath, waiting for him to continue. “I’ll figure something out, someone will be there for you both, just tell us when and where.”

•••••••••

That night after calling in many more favors, Midge texted Reggie to fill him in on the plan. She was very proud of the elaborate scheme they’d cooked up, too anxious to sleep. It didn’t help that she was also excited to see Jug and his family; to see her second family. She kept running over the plan in her mind, imagining every possible scenario. Usually, they went in her favor. She knew it wouldn’t be easy, but it was going to work, it had to. She couldn’t stay here a second longer, she wouldn’t make it as long as she was working for that man.

When Midge was first hired out of college, she was an employee of Cryogenics International, a company that studied the effects of ultra low temperatures on metals. When they were in danger of going bankrupt, the company sold to her current boss, Edgar Evernever. When he’d offered Midge a position with him, she eagerly agreed and signed a five year contract. She would soon come to learn, however, that Mr. Evernever was interested in a slightly different field. He specialised in cryonics, the deep freezing and preservation of the human body.

At first, Midge had loved it, she found it fascinating. She remembered the first time she was there to witness someone being revived, it was like a science fiction movie. The first few months went well, better than anyone expected. Once things slowed down, they stopped getting as much useable data. That was when Mr. Evernever started acting different. He began asking her and the other tech, Vic to doctor reports and conduct studies without proper consents. Vic tried to say no and threatened to have him reported. He quit that day and was never heard from again. Midge didn’t dare to ask questions after that.

•••••••••

_Thursday, October 25, 2018_

Midge pulls into the parking lot at the crack of dawn, the sun not even cresting the horizon. She enters the building, stopping in the security office to make sure no one else is there yet. It was currently a little after six in the morning, there were hours still before anyone would get here. She pulled out her phone and sent a group text: _We go at seven, tonight._ She carries on from the security room into the main chamber room, sitting down at her terminal. Her hands were shaking as she entered her password. With one last glance around the room, she began the revival process.

While she waited, she attended to other things such as reorganising the filing cabinets and tidying up. She figured it gave her a reason to be there so early. At about nine in the morning, Mr. Evernever arrived to work, Agents Minetta and Mantle arriving shortly after. They made their way to his office. Around ten o’clock, Mr. Evernever dials Midge in the chamber room. The phone rings twice before she answers, hoping that the slight shake of her voice is only happening in her head.

“Hello?”

“Start the process, dear. Call me when it’s done.”

“Yes, sir.” She exhaled slowly when the line disconnected. It was going to be a very long day.

••••••••• 

Reggie and Agent Minetta had left earlier that morning, not needing to be present for the whole revival process. They weren’t expected back until around nine, but at a little before seven Reggie came bursting into the chamber room, blood spilling from the fresh cuts on his face. Midge looked up, taking a moment for the shock to register before she was calling Mr. Evernever to the room. She then rushed over to him, helping to support him though he was at least a foot taller than her. She managed to help him into a chair just as Mr. Evernever entered the room.

“My boy, what happened?” His voice was its usual cold tone.

“Some assholes jumped me in the parking lot,” Reggie said, seething.

“I’ll call an ambulance,” Midge interjected. She tried to sound urgent as she added, “Mr. Evernever will you let the security guard at the gate know?”

“Are you sure that’s necessary, dear?”

She nodded and Mr. Evernever gave her a suspecting look, but took out his phone just the same. She saw him send the text and then quickly gave Reggie an urging look, raising her eyebrows slightly. He sat up a little straighter and cleared his throat.

“Thanks for the concern, but I think I’ll be okay. I just want to get a better look at the bastards that did this.” He turned his attention to Mr. Evernever before continuing, “Would you be able to let me get a look at the security footage, maybe get a copy? It was just out here in the parking lot.”

“Of course, let’s go see what we can find,” Mr. Evernever replied, standing to help Reggie to the security room. As the door closed behind them Midge went back to her terminal, opening the clock. She pretended to type as she watched the time pass, her heart racing faster with each second. Two minutes later she got a text from Reggie. It was go time. Reggie was going turn off the recording for the chamber room while he kept Mr. Evernever distracted with going over the security footage. He’d said he would stall as long as possible, but she knew she didn’t have a second to spare. She ran to the service entrance flinging the door open wide.

“Val!” she exclaimed quietly. Backed in was an ambulance, its lights dark. A beautiful woman with tightly curled hair stepped out of the ambulance giving Midge a quick hug. She had known the woman, Valerie Brown, since she moved to Arizona. They were roommates for the first year that she lived out here, until Val had moved to Tucson with her boyfriend. She opened the back of the ambulance, the two women rolling the gurney into the room. As they spoke, they moved an unconscious Betty onto the gurney.

“There will be a doctor waiting for you at the emergency room, his name is Moose Mason. He’ll take her from there. I have a backpack for you to leave with her, it has a phone and some money in it, as well as some clothes. There’s also information for Moose on her recovery in there, it’ll probably be two days before she’s awake. She’ll be dehydrated, you need to get her on fluids before you’re on the highway or she could seize.”

Val gave her understanding, and the women lifted Betty into the back of the ambulance. She gave her friend a concerned look as she grabbed the back door of the vehicle.

“What about you, won’t they come after you for this?”

Midge offered a weak smile, “they will, but the plan is that I won’t be here when they do. I just have to stay a bit longer, long enough that no one would have any reason to believe she’s gone. I’m joining her tonight.”

“Be safe,” Val told her as she pulled the doors closed.

•••••••••

The drive to University Medical Center in Tucson, Arizona takes about two hours. It's a little before nine at night when the ambulance pulls up to the emergency room entrance. Before getting out of the vehicle, Val disconnects Betty’s IV; dead people don’t need fluids, after all. She then jumps down to the smooth concrete, approaching a doctor sitting on a bench just inside. He looks up at her, uncertainty clear in his eyes.

“Are you Dr. Mason?” Val holds her hand out to the broad man. He nods and shakes her hand in return. “Valerie Brown; I have a twenty year old female here, dead on arrival.”

The man stands and walks to the ambulance with Val. They lift the gurney out and wheel it through the Emergency Room door. He checks her vitals and watches the clock for a minute, nodding his head solemnly. With the help of Val they wheel her off towards the right, through a door labeled MORGUE. It opens into an elevator which takes them down to the basement before opening into a long corridor. They continue down the hallway, passing the entrance to the morgue, the smell of formaldehyde stinging their noses. They reach a door at the end of the hall when Dr. Mason turns to Val.

“I know it’s not ideal,” he says. “But this is the only way to get into the closed wing undetected right now.”

He smiles at her apologetically when he sees her face fall at the sight of the stairwell before them.

“How many floors?” she asks.

“Four. One to street level then she’s on the third floor.”

“Why is it closed?” Val inquires as they ascend, trying to distract herself from the task at hand.

“Budget cuts. They just updated the trauma center which was a big pull on staff, so this wing just wasn’t reasonable to keep open right now. Not until we can get more trauma certified staff to keep everything covered.”

“Huh, makes sense I guess. Any idea how long that’ll take?”

“They’re hoping only a year or two, they’ve been encouraging as many of the new residents as possible to consider it.”

“So, how do you know Midge?”

“We actually dated briefly, our first two years of college.”

“OH, you’re _that_ Moose Mason,” she smiles as the realisation dawns on her.

They reach the third floor then, wheeling Betty into the empty hallway. It's eerie being there, in that long hall of closed doors lit only by the emergency lights which cast an unsettling glow. Moose opens a door towards the middle of the hallway. As Val brings the gurney to the bed, he closes the curtain that hangs between them and the door. He then turns on the small generator he had brought up earlier in the day, illuminating the small room before helping Val transfer Betty to the bed. He sets up another IV for her, per the directions from Midge he retrieved from Betty’s backpack.

Val decides to stay with her for a while, simply watching the rhythmic motion of her breathing. She seemed peaceful, despite the cuts and bruises adorning her body. She looked like she’d been through hell. Val watches as Dr. Mason carefully inspects a cut on Betty’s arm. He lightly trails his finger over it and Val raises an eyebrow at him.

“Is something wrong?” she asks, before adding with a timid smile. “Or are you just weird?”

He looks over at her and shakes his head with a chuckle. “No, I’m not weird; not for this reason at least. Come here, though. Look at this.”

She stands up to join him at Betty’s bedside. She feels the look of confusion spread across her face when she sees it.

“That looks fresh,” she states.

“Yes! But it’s not bleeding and there’s no sign of clotting.”

“How is that possible?”

“I have no idea.”

After they were confident Betty was stable for the time being, Moose walked Val out of the hospital. She thanked him for everything, and told him to let her know if he ever needed anything. He thanked her as well, before heading back inside the building. According to Midge’s note, it would be about two days before Betty even regained consciousness. He’d set timers on his phone to check on her every two hours to replace her IV. There was nothing to do now except carry on and wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to post this a day early, because I've gotten a little stuck in my writing due to the constant need to fix this chapter. Needless to say, it's not the strongest. It has some important information, and I hope that you enjoyed it nonetheless. I promise things will start picking up soon! Again, thank you so much for reading, and if you have any questions or concerns please feel free to reach out to me on Tumblr at 1ndecentstories. I will be posting a tease for the next chapter sometime early next week, as well.


	3. Awakening

_Friday, October 26, 2018_

“Reggie, I need you to take care of something for me back in Albany,” Minetta tells the man sitting across from him during their complimentary hotel breakfast. He hadn’t said anything about the fact that when they went to retrieve Betty last night, she hadn’t been there. Actually, these were the first words he’d said since they opened the empty chamber and he stormed from the room. Reggie nodded, happy for a reason to be away from Minetta. “I was supposed to give a briefing on a new case this afternoon, but I need you to go in my place while I attend to things here. Get it taken care of, say whatever you have to in order to keep them out of my hair, I don’t want any eyes on us right now. Your flight’s at 9:30.”

“That’s not even two hours from now,” Reggie said incredulously as he immediately began to gather his empty plate and trash so he could leave.

“Well, you better hurry then. Oh, and by the way Penny is going with you. She has business to attend to for me back in Albany, too.”

He waited a moment, making sure Minetta was finished, before he went back upstairs to their room to pack. While he was packing, he sent another text to Midge, asking her again if she’d given any thought to their date. He knew he couldn’t just come out and say that he was worried about her in case someone happened to see the message on her phone, he just prayed she’d respond. He was starting to get worried about her; she was supposed to text him last night when she made it to Tucson, but he hadn’t heard from her since Minetta had furiously walked out and he had followed, leaving Midge alone in the empty chamber room with Mr. Evernever and his daughter.

••• ••• •••

Their plane landed at Albany International Airport in New York a little after four in the afternoon. There were two cars waiting for them, taking them to separate locations. Reggie was relieved he didn’t have to be babysat by her anymore. From the airport it was only about thirty minutes before he found himself entering the FBI field office. His briefing wasn’t even until 5:30, he’d made great time. He entered the elevator just before the doors closed, a gorgeous woman with raven black hair catching them for him. He couldn’t think quick enough to stop himself from running into her as he crossed the threshold. She laughed softly as he found his footing.

“Veronica Lodge, pleased to meet you.” She held out a perfectly manicured hand, which Reggie took eagerly in his own. Her hand was so soft, he almost forgot to let go.

“I’m Reggie. Mantle. Uh I mean I’m Reggie Mantle,” he choked out. She found his awkwardness endearing, not to mention he was easy on the eyes.

“So Reggie Mantle, what would you say the chances are that you are in a unit headed by Agents Cooper and Keller?”

“Are they your assignment? That's surprising; they haven’t really taken on anyone new in years. But no, I’m not part of that team, I ac—,” He stopped mid-sentence when the elevator arrived and the doors opened with a ding. He wanted to keep talking to her, but he couldn’t do it just anywhere. “Hey, not trying to be inappropriate here, but will you come with me for a minute?”

She gave him a sly grin as she said yes and followed him from the elevator. They walked through an open sitting area that was void of people, spare one agent dozing off in the corner with a book. The two entered a door to their left that led into the break room. Reggie closed it behind him and did a quick sweep of the room before taking her into the courtyard. By this point she was intrigued. They sat on a bench facing the building, the setting sun warm on their backs.

“Miss Lodge, are you a good person?”

Veronica is visibly surprised by the question, her hand instinctively covering her heart, “I sure hope I am, I mean, I definitely try to be.”

“Yeah, yeah, everyone does but what I mean is are you the kind of good person that will do whatever you can to do the right thing, even if it puts you in danger?”

“Hmm,” she thinks for a moment. She hadn’t really been that person in the past, but it was time for her to turn over a new leaf. That was the kind of person she wanted to be. She was in a new city with a new job surrounded by people that knew nothing about her. If ever there was time for an image change, it was now. “Yeah, I would say that I am that person. Or at least, on my way to becoming that person.”

He couldn’t help but smile, appreciating her honesty and trusting her answer. Her deep brown eyes were so warm and caring, how could he not? “I like it. So here’s the rundown. But first, everything I tell you right now, you didn’t hear from me. Okay?”

She nods.

“Well, the reason Cooper and Keller haven’t taken any new agents in their unit is because they’re currently investigating our supervisor, Agent Minetta. I don’t know if you’ve met him yet but he’s the head of the department. Don’t ask me how I know about that investigation, but rest assured that I’m the only one that knows. You need to tell them to find a doctor somewhere in Arizona named Moose Mason as soon as possible. You’ll only have two days. If they don’t seem interested, tell them that he knows where Elizabeth Cooper is, but _only_ if you have to. The fewer people that know, the better. Once you find him, I need you to tell him that Midge isn’t coming, I’m worried something went wrong.”

Veronica gave him a horrified look, thinking he must be absolutely out of his mind. Her thoughts were racing as she tried to understand what he was telling her, “and why can’t you just do this?”

“Because, I work with Minetta. He would know and he would kill me. He would kill me if he knew I was telling you any of this right now.”

She searched his eyes, trying to find anything that would indicate why on Earth she should trust this man she’d known for barely ten minutes. She pursed her lips for a moment and Reggie continued.

“If Moose doesn’t believe you, tell him you’re in on operation snake eyes. I know it feels a little silly, but just go with it; he’ll know what it means.”

He stood up after that, offering his hand to help her up. She politely declined, saying she needed a minute. He nodded briefly before disappearing back into the building. She had so many questions; she wasn’t even sure if she believed this guy. After mulling it over for a while, and a quick google search on Elizabeth Cooper, she decided to take a leap of faith. If there was any chance of finding a girl that had been missing for four years, it was worth a shot.

••• ••• •••

_Saturday, October 27, 2018_

Moose hadn’t left the hospital since Thursday. When his shifts would end he would say his goodbyes before stealing away to the empty wing. There were hospital beds lining the wall in the dimly lit hallway, and he had claimed the the one outside of Betty’s room as his own the past few nights. He couldn’t help but feel like he should be there, in case something went wrong. Or in case Midge showed up. During his shifts, he would frequently use alarms as fake phone calls, allowing him to slip away to check on Betty’s IV at least every two hours.

At seven thirty in the evening he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket; it was his last check in of the day. He just had one more hour of his shift before he would leave the hospital, only to return to the deserted wing. There was still no sign of Midge, and Betty was still unconscious. He went to check her vitals and was startled to see her move under his touch. He tried to rouse her, but it seemed she was still mostly unresponsive. He checked her pupils, pleased to see them shrink in response to the light. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed Midge. Over the course of the past two days he tried to call her a few times, but she never answered. He was surprised when he heard a click on the line.

“Oh my god, Midge what the hell?” he started breathlessly. “Where are you, I’ve been worried! She’s waking up and—”

He was interrupted by a dark voice, dripping with malice, “Tell me where she is, or you can die with her.”

Moose swallowed before speaking, “Where’s Midge?”

“Where’s Elizabeth?”

Silence.

“Tell me, or I’ll kill your dear friend, here.”

Panic washed over Moose at the words. They had Midge; what was he supposed to do? What if they were bluffing? What if they weren’t bluffing? He had to do something. As he scrambled to collect his thoughts, he heard a meek voice carry through the receiver clear as day, “Moose, you have to stick to the plan.”

She sounded small and far away, scared; even through her attempt to sound defiant. He didn’t know what he could say. Before he had time to fully process her words, he heard a gunshot resonate through the phone. He dropped the device to the ground, the screen shattering upon impact. He held back a sob and glanced towards the sleeping girl on the hospital bed, trying to comprehend why Midge just gave her life for this stranger. Tears pricked behind his eyes at the loss, but he couldn’t let himself cry. Not now. He picked up the shards of his phone and was disappointed, though not surprised, to see that it no longer worked.

 _Maybe it was for the best,_ he thought as he wrapped the phone with a towel from one of the many cabinets lining the wall of the hospital room. He placed the balled up fabric in the sink and let the water soak it, ensuring that his phone was dead. He didn’t need to risk anyone tracing it back to him, to this hospital. With that one fleeting thought, his mind began to race and he realised that he had no idea what was happening now. Midge was dead and he had no clue who was supposed to be coming to get this girl let alone how the hell he was supposed to get ahold of them. He began to pace the room when his eyes fell on the black backpack sitting under the window.

He went to it and opened the front pouch, removing a small black flip phone. He flipped it open, surprised to see a text from a restricted number illuminating the screen. _Reply to this by 8pm._ Moose felt his stomach drop when he checked the time. It was 7:49. His heart was pounding in his ears as he tried to decide what to do. What if it was the men that killed Midge? What if it was a trap? He couldn’t seem to silence the questions racing through his mind, and at 7:58 let pure instinct take over. _Why?_ He sent, not sure what else he would have possibly said. He stared at the phone expectantly. Time seemed to stop when it began to vibrate in his hand. He let out a shaky breath and answered the call, pulling the speaker to his ear.

“Midge Klump?” a soft, female voice came from the other end of the line. He felt the sadness well up inside of him at the mention of her name.

“No, Dr. Moose Mason,” he felt himself choke a little as he continued. “I think— I mean, Midge is dead.”

There was silence for a moment as Moose tried to regain himself. The voice spoke again, the slightest tinge of sympathy in her words, “How do we know we can believe you; that you’re telling the truth?”

“I know about the operation.”

“Operation,” the voice echoed expectantly. Moose sighed; he hated saying it, he felt so childish about the whole thing.

“Operation snake eyes.”

The line clicked and went dead. He stared at the now blank screen dumbfoundedly. What the fuck was that? He sighed in frustration and went to put the phone back where he found it. He checked on Betty once more before leaving the room. He needed a minute. Truthfully, he needed way more than a minute but he’d take what he could get. He made his way down the stairs through the basement, past the morgue, up the elevator, and back into the emergency room with his eyes glued to the ground. From there he all but ran out of the hospital, walking as quickly as he could towards his old grey corolla parked in the far corner of the lot.

He barely looked up as he fiddled with the lock, throwing himself into the driver’s seat and pressing his forehead on the steering wheel. He was about to lose himself in his emotions when he heard someone clear their throat behind him. His back stiffened and his hands gripped the steering wheel so hard his knuckles turned white. He couldn’t dare himself to turn around and face them, instead quietly asking, “what do you want from me?”

He heard a woman chuckle before speaking in a familiar, soft voice. “It’s okay, Dr. Mason. We come as friends.”

He visibly relaxed as he turned his head towards the seats behind him. Sitting in his car were two beautiful young women who he could only assume to be in their early twenties. One of the women had gorgeous red hair that fell easily to her waist, contrasting against the black of her clothing. She held her dainty hand out to him, “My name is Cheryl, and this is Toni.”

He took her hand tentatively as she nodded towards the woman sitting next to her. She had long brown hair streaked with pink, both complementing and contrasting with her dark style. He looked back and forth between the two, still not understanding why or how they were in his car. He tried to mask the impatience in his voice as he spoke, “Nice to meet you ladies, but is this something we can kind of get on with, it hasn’t been a good day.”

Cheryl looked at him empathetically, “Of course, we’re here for the girl.” She reached an arm forward and placed it gently on his shoulder. “But about Midge, I’m so sorry for your loss. We all cared about her, too. She was so sweet.”

Moose looked down, unable to make eye contact at the moment. Though he was grateful for her sympathies, he couldn’t bring himself to respond to them, instead only discussing the task at hand, “You guys are a little early, she’s not fully awake yet. I’m hoping she’ll be conscious sometime tomorrow. There’s a second bed in her room, as well as some chairs if you need a place to stay.”

This time, the other woman, Toni, spoke. Her voice was a little more... mature with a soothing tone, “That would be nice, thank you.” She smiled at him and he couldn’t help but smile back. “We’ll let you be for a minute, okay?”

He nodded his head slightly as the two women climbed out of the backseat, closing the doors gently behind them. He focused his breathing for a moment, the relief he felt at the moment enough to keep his impending breakdown at bay. Once he felt that he had adequately collected himself, he opened the driver’s side door, inhaling the warm evening air as he stepped out of the car. He turned towards the women now leaning against the chipped hood of his car. They were lost in their own whispers, surely trying not to make him feel rushed. Once they assessed his newfound stability, he spoke.

“Okay, so we have to go by the morgue to get to the closed wing. If anyone asks, you’re here to identify a family member. I’ll do all the talking, just try to look sad.”

Cheryl gave him a mischievous wink and the next thing he knew she was sobbing. He was so shocked at the sudden emotional change that he looked to Toni for reassurance.

“Oh, she’s _very_ dramatic,” the pink haired woman told him with a smile. She took a moment to steady her features, her face falling void of emotion, “should we get this over with, then?”

••• ••• •••

_Sunday, October 28, 2018_

Betty’s eyelids feel like sandpaper dragging against her eyes as she blinks slowly. Before she even has a moment to process her surroundings, she’s blindsided by the burning in her throat. God, when was the last time she’d had anything to drink? She forces herself upright and is relieved to see a glass of water sitting on the table next to her. She reaches for it and is halfway finished when it dawns on her that she’s in a hospital room. At least, it looks like a hospital room. She slowly returns the cup to where she found it. Something doesn’t feel quite right, but she can’t seem to place it. It didn’t have the usual buzz of a hospital. She then notices two women sleeping on the other bed in the room with her, curious as to why they weren’t clad in ill fitting gowns like hers.

She was about to get out of bed to explore, to try and figure out what was going on, when she heard the door click. She froze when she made eye contact with a tall man in a white coat standing in the doorway. He looked as surprised to see her as she was him. Her head jerked to her left when she heard motion from the bed next to hers. A red haired woman sat up as she carefully wiped the sleep from her eyes. She was stunning, even for having been sound asleep only seconds before. Betty suddenly found herself wondering what she looked like. Probably hell. She felt like hell, that was for sure. Her head started to pound and she felt herself losing strength as she carefully lowered herself back down to the bed, trying to control the panic she felt welling inside of her.

“You shouldn’t sit up, yet,” the man says as he approaches her. His voice is concerned as he checks her pulse. She follows his gaze to the clock on the wall, noting the time; it reads 9:08 and judging by the light outside it must be morning. He writes something down on what she can only assume to be her chart before gently placing his hand on her forearm. “How do you feel?”

She looks at him, surprised by the question. How did she feel? She felt like shit. Everything ached and she could feel the tears pool in the corner of her eyes at the pounding in her head. She turned her attention towards the sound of the other woman sitting up in bed, the motion making her head throb harder. As she raised her arm to wipe the tears that escaped with the back of her palm, she stopped short. Her arms were covered in deep cuts and bruises; they looked almost intentional. She tried to remember where they came from, quickly becoming frustrated that she couldn’t. After a moment, she spoke softly, “Why am I here?”

She watches curiously as the other three people in the room share an uncomfortable look. Her heart begins to sink. After what feels like an eternity, the doctor opens his mouth to answer.

“I’m sorry, but…,” he shifts his weight, not sure what to say next. He exhales shakily before deciding on the truth. “We don’t know exactly; we were just told that you needed our help. We were hoping that you might know more, but for now, we’ll start simple. Can you tell us your name?”

She thinks for a moment, pursing her lips. She opens her mouth but nothing comes out. Her name. She doesn’t know her name. The tears finally fall hot and free down her face as a sob rips through her. She shakes her head lamely. How could she not know her own name? The man gives her arm a gentle squeeze.

“That’s okay,” he says reassuringly. “We know your name, at least. You’re Elizabeth. I’m Dr. Mason, and those two women there are Cheryl, and Toni.”

“Elizabeth…,” she whispers to herself. The name feels weird on her lips, foreign. She looks back to Dr. Mason before asking, “are you sure?”

“We’re sure, it’s really the only thing we know,” the red headed woman spoke, the woman Moose had said to be Cheryl. “You’re in danger, Elizabeth. You were brought here so we could make sure you were safe, we came to take you back to California. There are others, we’re going to keep you safe for as long as you need it. I promise.”

She thought about it for a moment, suddenly feeling very sleepy. She could see the sincerity in her eyes, it was obvious she was a person that cared very deeply. Betty couldn’t fathom why this woman was so eager to shelter her, but she was grateful just the same. She nodded her head slowly in agreement, her eyelids growing heavy. The two women seemed nice enough and they gave her a good feeling.

Besides, where else would she go?

••• ••• •••

Betty could feel herself shaking as she was rolled out of the main hospital entrance. She could feel that people were looking at her, taken aback by the bandages obstructing her face. Her head was completely wrapped in white gauze and she could only imagine what people thought was hidden beneath. After she had napped, they decided that the best way to get her out undetected was by walking right through the front door as if she were any other patient being released.

Dr. Mason pushed her out in a wheelchair as Cheryl walked alongside them, her hand on Betty’s shoulder. Toni had gone to get the car and was supposed to meet them at the entrance. Betty could feel Cheryl’s hand relax on her shoulder as a slate grey Chevy Cruze stopped in front of them. The locks popped and Cheryl quickly opened the back seat, helping Betty climb in. She walked to the trunk before returning with a pillow and offering to it her.

“For the drive home,” she says sweetly. “It’s going to be a long one.”

She gently closes the door once Betty is comfortably in the car. Tossing her hair over her shoulder, she then turns to Dr. Mason and gives him a handshake, slyly slipping him some cash in the exchange.

She winks, climbing into the passenger seat. “Thanks for all your help.”

Before her door is even closed they’re moving, the hospital shrinking in the distance behind them as they approach the main road. Betty leans against the door, trying to make herself comfortable as she watches the buildings flash by. She’s so overwhelmingly tired, but she wants to stay awake to see if she can remember anything about how she got here. She only manages to make it until they’re on the interstate, the steady motion of the vehicle quickly lulling her to sleep. She didn’t notice Cheryl reach back and give her a gentle shake, nor did she rouse when Toni spoke.

“Do you think we should call Jughead; would he be home yet?”

There was a hint of sadness to her voice and Cheryl understood immediately. They had to let him know about Midge. She looked down somberly, before returning her gaze to the open road in front of them.

“We’ll call him when we’re closer,” she offers, not quite ready to be the bearer of bad news. “There’s no need to tell him yet.”

••• ••• •••

After sending Elizabeth off, Dr. Mason returns to the closed wing to dispose of all signs of their presence there. It feels weird to him, being in the now empty hospital room he had spent so much time in the past few days. Without the quiet hum of the generator, the room gives off an unsettling vibe that hangs heavy in the air. He feels his whole body tense at the quick chirp of his pager. He checks it, surprised to see there’s an urgent call waiting for him. He makes his way down the hall to the stairwell as quickly as he can, before taking the stairs down two at a time. He hastily pushes through the door into the basement hallway, quickly picking up the phone by the morgue entrance. He takes a deep breath as he dials his extension.

“This is Dr. Mason.”

“Hello, Moose,” a woman’s voice greets him. “I think we need to talk. I have a message for you, and I was told that you might also be able to help me with something.”

“A message? Is this some kind of threat?” he questions, starting to panic at the thought. “Why should I help you?”

“It’s for operation snake eyes,” Veronica says, hoping that the words mean more to him than they do her.

“And you are…,” he prompts, unsure of if he should trust the unfamiliar voice.

“My name is Veronica Lodge and I’m with the FBI,” she says, the fact that he was cooperating suddenly making her feel more confident. She had decided to follow Reggie’s directions, but with some slight modifications; namely that she was going to do it herself. “I’m a friend, I promise.”

He’s quiet for a moment before asking, “what do you want from me?”

“I was told to tell you that Midge isn’t coming, that we think something bad might have happened.”

Moose lets out a dark laugh before he scoffs, “thanks for the update, she’d dead.”

“I’m so sorry,” Veronica offers, at a loss for any other words.

“Good for you,” he snaps, suddenly losing his patience with this conversation. He hadn’t faced the reality of Midge’s death yet and he sure as hell wasn’t ready to do it now. “So unless you have anything else I’m going to go now.”

“Elizabeth Cooper. Do you know where she is?”

“Yeah, she’s on her way to some place in California,” he replies dryly, after a moment’s hesitation. “You’re too late, someone else already got her.”

“Do you know who it was?”

“It was two women that are friends with someone Midge used to know or something. I don’t really know, Midge was supposed to explain it when she got here. I’ve gotta go now, and before you ask, no. I don’t know anything else.”

The line clicks and Veronica looks down at her phone, disappointed with the lack of information. She purses her lips, wondering what her next course of action should be. This might be harder to do by herself than she thought.

••• ••• •••

Betty woke several hours later to the sound of two women singing in harmony to a song she didn’t recognize. Her eyes fluttered open as she took a moment to remember her surroundings. Since they had left the hospital, she had been curled up in the back seat behind Cheryl, out cold. They had stopped for both food and gas thus far, though unsurprisingly Betty hadn’t even stirred. She adjusted the pillow that was between her and the door panel as she sat up and wiped the sleep from her eyes. She yawned loudly, quickly covering her mouth, so as to not be impolite. Cheryl looked back at her with a smile.

“Hi there sleepy head,” she said sweetly, turning down the music. “You okay?”

Betty offered her a small smile in return, now hugging the pillow to her. Her throat felt like it was on fire and she wondered how she’d slept when she was so thirsty. As if reading her mind, Cheryl handed her a bottle of water. Betty eagerly accepted the offering and downed half of the bottle in one gulp. She smiled at Cheryl in thanks before she replied, “much better now, thank you.”

“Of course; are you hungry?”

“Oh, no thank you,” she declines softly. Cheryl looks at her, concern clear in her dark, hazel eyes.

“Are you sure? It has to have been at least two days since you’ve eaten...”

As if right on cue, Betty feels a grumble low in her stomach and she nods her head slowly. Cheryl was right, she should probably eat something.

“Here, have some trail mix. Or I have some crackers, if you’d prefer.”

“Thank you,” Betty murmurs as she takes the box of crackers that Cheryl held out to her. As she takes a small bite of one, a tear falls from her eye, overwhelmed by the kindness of the strangers sitting in front of her. She wipes her face roughly, wincing as the heel of her palm hits the cut on her cheek. She hesitates for a moment before deciding to speak while she has the courage, “do you know what happened to me; why I’m covered in cuts?”

Cheryl’s face falls slightly and she glances at Toni to her left, who’s expression mirrors her own. Betty looks between the women before Cheryl finally speaks, “No, we really don’t know. I’m so sorry, Elizabeth.”

“Elizabeth,” Betty makes a face as she says it, completely changing the subject of conversation. “I don’t think I like it. It’s too… stuffy.”

Toni chuckles from behind the wheel, “then what should we call you?”

“How about Lizzy?” Cheryl offers. Betty makes a face, scrunching her nose at the name. It didn’t sound right.

“What is she, five?” Toni laughs as she playfully nudges Cheryl before continuing, “I think you’re more of a Betty, personally.”

The name hits her like a slap across the face. _Betty_. It falls from her lips as she attempts to hold the sob threatening to break free from her chest. Suddenly tears well in her eyes as she feels a weird sense of nostalgia wash over her. She can’t control her emotions as she struggles to grasp the memories attempting to form in her mind. Faded images and soft whispers circulate in her mind like ghosts, flashes of a life she knows nothing of. She sniffles as she holds the pillow tighter to her chest, burying her face into the soft fabric. She looks up a minute later when she feels a gentle touch on her knee.

Cheryl speaks softly, holding out a packet of tissues. “Do we have a winner?”

Betty nods with a weak smile as she shifts her legs onto the seat, taking a tissue and blowing her nose. She stuffs the tissue into the pocket of the purple hoodie that she found in her backpack before moving the pillow against the window carefully, ensuring she can still see outside.

“Well, Betty,” Cheryl says with a subtle smile, “why don’t you try to get some more sleep. We have at least five more hours of driving before we’re home.”

After giving a small nod in response, Betty stares out the window as she catches a glint in the parting of the hills. She’s awestruck by the scenery; the large fluffy white clouds sitting heavy in the open blue sky, the sun reflecting from the dancing waters. She watches intently as they pass another hill before the water comes back into view. Her eyes close slowly as she’s suddenly overwhelmingly tired. She fights against heavy lids to watch the passing land, ultimately succumbing to sleep minutes later when there’s nothing to see but barren hills and passing cars.

••• ••• •••

The Serpents lived on an old eight hundred acre lot just outside of Napa, California. The lot had been a vineyard before the serpents purchased it just a few years ago and built their new homebase upon it. Toni turned onto a dirt road, passing a small ranch house towards the left; it had been the original home for the vineyard, but was now used mostly for recreation and to maintain appearances. Behind it, beyond the dense rows of black oak trees and confined within the steel slatted fence that stretched in either direction for as far as the eye could see, was their secluded home. Toni pulled the car to the fence through an almost imperceptible clearing in the trees. At the push of a button, a portion of the fence began to roll open, allowing them access further into the grounds.

They continue down the dirt road towards a faint light in the distance, maybe a quarter of a mile from the gate. Cheryl can’t help but smile and softly squeeze Toni’s hand as their home finally comes into view. On the outside, it looks like a beautiful two story victorian style ranch house with a wooden deck and large front windows, but on the inside, it contains seven individual apartments as well as shared living areas. She turns to check on Betty and is surprised to see that she’s still sound asleep in the back seat, almost certain that the bumpy road would have woken her. They carefully climb out of the car, quietly gathering their things from the trunk. Cheryl takes Betty’s backpack and puts it over her shoulder before holding her other arm out for the bag in Toni’s hand.

“I’ll take the bags to the house and see if I can get someone to come help us get her inside,” she says before giving Toni a quick peck on the cheek. “I’ll be right back.”

Toni smiles at her receding figure, watching her gracefully bound up the few stairs of the patio before disappearing through one of the two large wooden doors into the house and out of sight. She rests against the side of the car breathing in the still, night air. She loved living out here with the serpents in the middle of nowhere, they had their own little paradise nestled in the trees. She leans her head back against the car, looking up at the dark sky. They were a fair distance from the lights of the city, and therefore the stars were always clear and bright. A minute later she hears the front door open and turns her head to see the form of Cheryl descending the steps from the house, a tall figure with broad shoulders trailing behind.

“I should’ve known you would be the one to come help,” Toni says with a smile as the man in front of her steps into the light. He runs a hand through his thick black hair, smirking in response. She can tell that he’s tired, can see the sadness in his bloodshot eyes with the deep half moons more pronounced than usual. As they approach, Cheryl puts an arm around him, giving him a gentle squeeze before softly laying her head on his shoulder. He gives her a small squeeze in return, a sad smile teasing the corners of his mouth. She steps away and goes to take Toni’s hand, joining her against the car.

“Why wouldn’t I?” he replies with a small shrug of his shoulders. “Besides, I owe you guys for going to get her for me.”

“It was no problem,” Toni says earnestly. She hesitates a moment before adding, “we’re sorry that we weren’t able to bring Midge back with us, too.”

Silence. It felt as if the air had been sucked out of his lungs at the mention of her name. She had become a part of his family and now she was gone. He didn’t even get to say goodbye.

“You’re sure she’s not going to wake up?” the man asks, his low voice barely a whisper. Toni doesn’t miss the way he ignored her condolences, instead opening the back door of the vehicle to reveal a young blonde woman curled up sleeping, clutching a pillow to her chest. She also doesn’t miss the way his breath catches in his throat for a second.

“We’re sure, she’s been out for hours,” Cheryl tells him, her words a normal volume. “See? It’s like we’re not even here.”

As if right on cue, Betty lets out a soft snore. She did look peaceful. Letting out a shaky sigh, he carefully slips an arm under her knees. He wraps his other arm around her back, gently cradling her to him before standing up slowly, careful not to hit her head on the doorframe. He freezes when he feels her shift in his arms, a soft groan sounding from her throat as she leans into his chest, still clutching the pillow to her.

“Jughead,” Cheryl says softly, breaking the silence as she gently closes the car door. She puts a hand on his shoulder and he exhales, not realising he’d been holding his breath. He looks down at the girl sleeping in his arms; he knows nothing about her and his only connection to her is now gone. Was this a mistake? Cheryl’s calm words break through his thoughts. “It’s okay, we’ll figure this out. Let’s all just get some sleep for now. She can sleep in our extra room, we’re happy to have her.”

He nods as he follows the women into the house, Toni locking the front doors behind them. She sets the alarms quickly while Jughead and Cheryl wait before they ascend the stairs on the right of the open foyer. The entrance to their apartment is directly around the right corner at the top of the stairs. Cheryl unlocks the door and holds it open for Toni, who is followed by Jughead and the still sleeping Betty. She leads them past the couch and into a room to their left. Toni pulls back the down comforter allowing Jughead to carefully place Betty into the sheets before stepping back from the bed. Toni pulls the covers up, gently tucking the sleeping girl in.

As soon as Toni latches the door closed, she turns to Jughead and releases the barrage of questions that had been burning holes in her all day, “Jug, who is she? Why is she here and what do you actually know about her? Can we really trust her?”

“I don’t know,” he says, defeated. He runs a hand through his tousled hair, letting out an exasperated sigh. He definitely was in over his head. “I don’t know the answer to any of that, Midge was supposed to tell me more when she got here.”

Cheryl places a hand on Toni’s shoulder, as if silently telling her to let it go. She gives Jughead a gentle smile, “It’s okay, we understand. Go get some sleep, we’ll talk about it in the morning, okay?”

He gives her a little nod, before turning to the leave their room. He addresses them once more before closing the door softly behind him. “Thank you, both; you did great.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well this chapter has probably been my favorite so far, I had so much fun with it. I really hope that everyone likes it! As always, feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns, my tumblr is 1ndecentstories. I don't know when exactly I'll have a chapter four tease this week, but I might post the layout I drew of the serpents home, if anyone would like to see that. Thank you all, and I hope everyone has a lovely week!


	4. Welcome

_Monday, October 29, 2018_

Betty had found herself in an unfamiliar room, waking in the middle of the night after dreaming of a man with eyes eerily similar to her own. In this dream he had attacked her, causing the same marks that littered her body in the waking world. She was unable to fall back asleep after, her mind racing as she attempted to calm herself down. When that didn’t work, she let her curiosity get the best of her, sneaking from the bed, careful not to make a sound as she quietly tiptoed across the room. There were two doors on the wall opposite the bed, a large mirror between them hanging above a short dresser. She gently cupped her ear against the one on the right, listening for any motion. When she was certain the coast was clear, she turned the knob with a muffled click. Her breath caught in her throat as she pushed through the door, startled by a figure to her left. She exhaled shakily as she made brief eye contact with her pale reflection in the bathroom mirror. She quickly averted her gaze and shuffled back into the bedroom, not ready to face herself and the reality of her situation quite yet.

When she listened through the other door, the only sound she heard was the hum of what one could only assume to be an appliance of some sort. She opened the door quietly, entering a large open loft style space. There was a light on over the stove, illuminating the living room in front of her. Her feet slid on the dark wood floor beneath her as she made her way towards a bookshelf to her right after a quick glance at the kitchen. The home was decorated tastefully, a planted ivory creeping down from the top of the bookshelf she was inspecting. She slid her finger along an elegant silver frame containing a picture of Cheryl and Toni smiling back at her. The picture offered her some comfort, and she finally felt herself relax at the faces of the women that had rescued her. The women that had not only rescued her but taken her to their home. With a tired smile on her face, she returned to the bedroom, feeling as though she could make another attempt at sleep.

••• ••• •••

She was able to doze off for maybe another hour or two before the nightmares returned. She eventually gave up, resigning herself to laying in bed and watching the fan slowly rotate above her. She laid there for what felt like an eternity; staring at the smooth black blades for so long that she was convinced they were spinning irregularly. She pulled the covers up over her head in an attempt to block out some of the light now filtering into the pale purple room.

When she starts to hear the distinct sounds of motion elsewhere in the house, she pokes her head out of the covers. She listens for a moment, making sure that the others must be up before she climbs out of the bed. After neatly making the covers, she walks into the other room to find Cheryl and Toni dancing about the kitchen while preparing breakfast. She can’t help but enjoy how open the room is in the light, the smell of brewing coffee only adding to the already welcoming atmosphere.

“How’d you sleep?” Cheryl asks her from her place in the kitchen, taking the pan Toni had gotten down for her from the rack above the stove.

“I slept well, thank you,” she replies softly, not wanting to burden them with the truth. She walks over to the island, taking a seat on one of two dark metal bar stools opposite the women. “Thank you for letting me sleep here.”

“Of course, this is your home now and that room is yours for as long as you’d like. Are you hungry?” Toni asks as she makes her way towards a door just off the kitchen. She disappears into another room and Cheryl continues speaking for her.

“We were just about to start making some breakfast! I can make some toast if you’re hungry now, or if you’d rather take a shower it’ll be about thirty minutes before the food is ready.”

“I’d really like to take a shower I think…,” Betty replies, trailing off as she remembers that she has nothing to change into. There had only been one pair of clothes and a pair of black vans in the backpack that was left for her, and she really didn’t want to keep wearing the same dirty clothes. As if reading her mind, Toni emerges from the other room, a small stack of clothing in her arms.

“They’re nothing special, but I think most of these should fit,” the woman offers, holding the garments out to Betty. “We’ll have to get you your own clothes soon.”

“Thank you,” she whispers, feeling the tears well behind her eyes. She didn’t know why these people were being so nice to her, but she was so thankful for them.

“We’ll let you know when the food is ready,” Toni says, gently nudging her in the direction of the purple room; of her room. “The towels in the bathroom are clean, and there are all the soaps and shampoos you could need in the shower already, courtesy of Cheryl, of course. Oh, and there should be a hair brush in the drawer by the sink, as well as a toothbrush and toothpaste. Let us know if you need anything, okay?”

Betty nodded in thanks as she went to the room, closing the door behind her. She laid the clothes out on the white down comforter, staring at them a moment before deciding on a long sleeve black shirt and a pair of dark jean shorts that she really hoped would fit her. She took the clothes with her into the restroom, setting them on the counter before turning on the showerhead. She found herself back at the mirror, watching herself undress. Her emotions threatened to get the better of her as she removed her clothing, revealing the damaged flesh beneath. She felt the tears run hot down her face as she slid a pair of black yoga pants down over her scraped knees. She inspected the bruises on her thighs, lightly tracing them with her fingers.

She turns her attention back to the mirror and watches as her reflection slowly fades from the steam wafting around the room, wishing she would fade away too. Pulling the curtain aside, she steps over the edge of the tub and into the hot water cascading down around her. It burns her skin for only a brief moment before she relaxes into the heat. She dips her head back, letting the water wash through her hair and down her cheeks, mixing with the tears that continued to fall. She shampooed her hair, staring mindlessly at the glass tiles lining the walls. Once she felt she was sufficiently clean and had gathered herself enough to leave the warm sanctuary of the shower, she turned the water off before she wrapped herself in the towel that had been hanging from the wall.

After drying herself off and getting herself dressed, she was pleased to see that the shorts fit her pretty well. She felt that they were a little on the loose side, but she doubted anyone would be able to tell. She combed her fingers through her damp hair before pulling it back into a low braid. She returned to kitchen to find Cheryl and Toni serving their freshly prepared breakfast on the kitchen island, a third stool having been added for her. Before she had a chance to sit down, there was a resounding knock at the door. Betty froze in place as she turned to the sound, before looking back to the women in the kitchen.

“Betty, darling, would you mind?” Cheryl asks sweetly, motioning the plate of bacon in her hand towards the door.

“Oh, no not at all,” Betty replies a second later, slightly surprised by the request. She walks over to the door, unlocking the knob before sliding the dead bolt over. The second the lock clicked, the door flung open and out of her hand. A tall man in a leather jacket burst into the room, and Betty couldn’t help but notice that he was handsome, his sharp features drawing her in. His harsh words rip her from her thoughts and she instinctively steps back as he bellows in her face.

“What on Earth took you so lo—,” he stops short when his angry eyes meet her scared green ones, trying to comprehend why this stranger was yelling at her. His expression steeled, trying to keep the embarrassment he felt from showing as he gave an awkward apology, tripping over his own words. “Oh, I’m uh, sorry, I thought….”

He trailed off into incomprehensible mutters as he tried to figure out what to say to the beautiful young woman who looked obviously terrified of him. Her eyes held his and he could see the shift in her posture, the way she withdrew into herself. His face darkened into a scowl, unable to stop himself from succumbing to the strange offense he felt at her fear. He was relieved when Cheryl called out to him from the kitchen, giving him an excuse to break from the intense staring contest he’d found himself in.

“You sure know how to make a first impression, Jones.”

“Well _sorry_ that I didn’t expect someone other than you or Toni to answer the door to _your_ apartment,” he snaps back, the edge in his voice abrupt and harsh. He tries to assure himself that it was their fault, that they should have just answered the damn door in the first place.

“Wow someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed,” Cheryl says with a roll of her eyes. Her stature immediately shrinks as he shoots a glare at her from across the living room, challenging her to keep goading him. She quietly submits to his gaze, offering a soft, “sorry.”

“We’ll talk later,” he says pointedly, pulling the door closed with a slam, leaving as suddenly as he came. Betty stands paralyzed, her fists instinctively clenched. She releases them immediately at the unexpected warmth rolling down her finger. Blood.

“What was that?” Betty asks, trying to find her voice. “Did I do something?”

“That’s just Jughead and you can feel free to ignore whatever that was,” Toni says as she wraps an arm around Cheryl, rubbing her arm. “He’s always pretty intense… but he’s kind of having a meltdown of sorts. It’s nothing you did, just give him time.”

As much as Betty wanted to inquire further, she was reminded of the fresh cuts in her palm when she involuntarily moved to put her hands in her pockets.

“I need to wash my hands,” she blurts out, quickly retreating to her room. She washes her hands, wincing slightly at the sting from the soap, before drying them, careful not to get any blood on the towel.

She takes a moment to herself before once again returning to the kitchen, taking a seat at the island. Cheryl and Toni had already begun serving themselves, and happily passed the plates her way. They ate quietly for a while before Cheryl broke the silence, Betty almost finished with her second helping.

“So Betty,” she starts, taking a sip of her orange juice before continuing. “I was thinking today I could show you around, introduce you to the others. Do you think you’d be up for that?”

“Yeah, that sounds nice,” Betty says, feigning a smile. Honestly, meeting new people stressed her out and she wasn’t sure she was ready for that. In an effort to buy some time, and genuinely feeling sleepy after indulging in a whole plate of hash browns, she added, “later, though, if that’s okay. I think I need to take a nap.”

“Of course, whenever you’re ready,” Cheryl assures her.

“Thank you,” Betty says, standing up and putting her plate in the sink. She goes back to her room, changing into a pair of yellow running shorts and an old white t-shirt from the pile of clothes Toni had given her. She moves the remaining garments into one of the drawers of the rich wooden dresser that stretched along on the wall under the mirror before climbing into bed. She sighs contentedly, shimmying herself further under the covers. It wasn’t long before she drifted off to sleep, falling into a deep, dreamless slumber.

••• ••• •••

Betty stirs at the sound of a soft knock on her door. A yawn escapes her as she glances at the clock on the bedside table. _4:32pm_. She quickly sits up in bed, shocked that she had slept for nearly seven hours. She calls out to the source of the knocking, inviting them to enter as she wipes the sleep from her eyes. Cheryl pokes her head into the room.

“Hey sleepy head, just wanted to make sure you were doing okay.” Her eyes are warm and kind as she smiles at Betty.

“Yeah, I’m good, thank you,” she says, rushing out of bed. “I didn’t mean to sleep so long. Is it too late for that tour?”

“No no, of course not,” Cheryl gushes happily. “Let me know when you’re ready!”

Betty watches with a smile as she pulls the door closed behind her, feeding off of Cheryl’s positive energy. She quickly makes the bed before changing back into the clothes she’d worn earlier, this time putting on the pair of black vans, too. She pulled her hair from its braid, gently running her fingers through the waves left behind, before leaving the room. Cheryl looks up from her place at the couch and smiles at Betty.

“All set?” she asks, setting the book she was reading down on the coffee table.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Betty replies with a smile as she puts her hands in her pockets and gives a little shrug. Cheryl claps her hands together as she jumps up from the couch, her smile widening.

“Then what are we waiting for? Toni’s already downstairs,” Cheryl informs her as she holds the front door open for them. She smiles when she sees Betty stop short, looking back at her in disbelief. The entrance to their home was in a little nook to the side of the stairs, but to the left of that was a large, open space. When she’d greeted their unexpected guest earlier, she was so taken aback that she didn’t really pay attention to the world beyond the door; she had expected a narrow hallway, or something similar, but definitely not this. It was perhaps the most stunning room she’d ever seen. The only window stretched from wall to wall, starting a few feet up from the floor. Directly beneath it were rows of bookshelves broken only for the occasional arm chair.

“This is amazing,” Betty gushes as she rushes over to the bookshelf, kneeling down to run her fingers gently along the spine of a first edition copy of _In Our Time_ by Ernest Hemingway. “You guys actually own all of these books?”

“I’m glad you like it,” Cheryl giggles, as she leans against the arm of one of the chairs beneath the window. “Yep, all of them. This room is basically our library, but through that archway is another room with more books. It’s also nice if you’d prefer more privacy.”

Betty follows her gaze across from where she’s sitting, her eyes widening in excitement at the rows of books lining the shelves in the small room. At least now she didn’t have to worry about what she was going to do tonight.

“All of the doors on this floor lead into apartments, so we try to keep quiet up here. That’s why the library's the only common space on this floor. Would you like to look around some more, or are you ready to go downstairs now?”

“We can go,” she agrees happily, deciding to pick out a book later. She stands up to follow Cheryl towards the wide staircase. As they descend the steps, a large window comes into Betty’s view, staring right out onto the front porch and into the trees beyond. They make a right at the bottom of the stairs, entering the foyer. The room makes the one upstairs look like a broom closet. The giant windows flood the room with light, refracting off of the crystal accents dangling from the chandelier that hangs in the middle of the room. To the right of the front door is a large grand piano, the only thing on the wooden floor besides a large, grey area rug.

“This is the main entry,” Cheryl says as she holds her arms out and does a little spin. She faces the sliding glass doors that lead out to the back deck, straight back from the front entrance. “To the left there is our movie and game room, our meeting room, and the bar. To the right is the kitchen, the laundry room, and access to the tunnel. There’s also one apartment on each side.”

“Tunnel?” Betty asks in surprise, too fixated on that particular piece of information to acknowledge anything else.

“We don’t really use it much, it’s just a tunnel that leads to the front house,” Cheryl replies nonchalantly, as if everyone has tunnels in their homes.

“The front house?” Betty questions, her confusion only growing. “What even is this place?”

“All in good time my dear Betty, all in good time,” Cheryl assures her, turning on her heel and motioning for Betty to follow. “Let’s continue with the kitchen, shall we?”

“Don’t all of the apartments already have their own kitchens?” Betty asks, begrudgingly dropping the tunnel conversation as she and Cheryl walk past the stairs through the open archway into the massive room.

“They do, but this is more convenient for when we’re all eating together. Plus it has every appliance and utensil you could ever possibly need. Do you like to cook?” she asks Betty, who had begun investigating a strange contraption mounted to the kitchen island.

“Is this a pencil sharpener?” she asks, having completely missed everything Cheryl had said to her. Her face flushes when she finally looks up and sees Cheryl laughing at her, shaking her head. “Oh my gosh I’m sorry, did you ask me something?”

“I asked if you like to cook,” Cheryl replies, the laughter still clear in her eyes. “But considering you thought a pasta maker was a pencil sharpener, I’m going to have to guess not really.”

“Oh,” Betty whispers, suddenly feeling like an idiot. “I’m more of a baker, but I cook some things. Just not pasta, apparently.”

“That’s okay, I’ll teach you some day. Anywho, over here is the laundry room,” Cheryl continues, completely changing the conversation as she gestures to a room hidden behind shuttered doors. As they begin to walk back towards the arch leading out to the foyer, a door clicks open. Their eyes follow the sound to a tall, muscular man with fiery red hair exiting a room to their left. He approaches them, a goofy grin on his face.

“Hello, ladies,” the man says, his voice sounding somewhat younger than she had expected, yet not immature. He looks Betty over quickly, his smile faltering slightly as his eyes take in the visible marks on her legs. He quickly looks away, locking his deep brown eyes onto hers. “I’m gonna guess you’re Elizabeth, right? I’m Archie.”

“Actually it’s Betty,” Cheryl interjects before Betty has the chance to speak. She tries not to think about it, instead giving Archie a small nod in greeting.

“Nice to meet you, Betty,” Archie says with an eye roll, holding his hand out to Cheryl. Betty smiles at the gesture, already enjoying the playful energy of Archie.

“Oh please,” Cheryl snorts. “This is why no one takes you seriously.”

He makes a face at her as she swats his hand away, turning to leave the room with a flip of her hair.

“It’s nice to meet you, too,” Betty replies softly before moving to join Cheryl. After a moment’s hesitation he speaks, changing the subject as he follows the women to the Foyer.

“I think that everyone’s in the bar. Wanna go check it out?”

“Hello, where did you think we were going?” Cheryl quips, a defensive tone to her voice. Archie brushes her off, instead addressing Betty.

“Are you even old enough to drink, Betty?”

The question confuses her, stopping her dead in her tracks. Her shoulders tense and her hands begin to curl in on themselves as she looks to Cheryl, unable to answer. She had begun to remember things about herself, but only in the sense that she just kind of _knew_ them. Her age, however, was not one of those things. How old _was_ she?

“As if anyone actually cares,” Cheryl snaps back, having stopped with Betty. Archie turns around to face the women, realising that they were no longer walking with him. He raises an eyebrow expectantly. “But since you must know, she’s twenty.”

“Wow you really can’t let anyone speak for themselves,” he remarks, approaching the women.

“Get off it, Andrews,” Cheryl says a little louder as she glares at him, daring him to continue. “You’re the only one who seems to have a problem here.”

“Oh yeah and you know that because you always know everything and can speak for everyone else,” he challenges, matching her volume. He steps forward, easily closing the space between them.

“If this is still about what I said at Jellybean’s birthda—”

“ _If_ this is about? Are you kidding, OF COURSE this is about Jellybean’s fucking birthday!! It’s about that _and_ the fact that you feel so… so FUCKING ENTITLED TO TALK FOR EVERYONE ELSE.”

“You guys this really isn’t necessary,” Betty tries to reason, unsure of how to help the situation. She might as well have not even been there, Cheryl firing back at Archie right over her words.

“IT WAS OVER A YEAR AGO.”

“SO FUCKING WHAT,” Archie shouts, straightening himself so that he stands even taller, towering over Cheryl’s small frame. She crosses her arms in defiance. “You don’t think that doesn’t still have consequences?? Oh that’s right. You DON’T. Because you don’t think about anyone’s feelings, BUT YOUR OWN.”

“Because I care so deeply about your perception of me,” Cheryl seethes, her voice nearly a whisper. Her eyes are watering, her emotions threatening to overwhelm her.

Suddenly, the hallway is filled with the sounds of laughter and clinking glasses. They all stop and turn to look down the hall only to see Toni standing just outside of the last door on the right, her hands planted firmly on her hips.

“Are you two really fighting about this again?,” she huffs. “Seriously, just grow up already.”

“Mon amour, I was merely—,” Cheryl starts, her voice faltering slightly.

“I love you both, but knock that shit off, or don’t come into my bar,” Toni interrupts. Cheryl visibly deflates, nodding her head solemnly. Archie snickers and this time Toni speaks to only him, “Archie, you know where my loyalties lie; do not test me.”

His face immediately falls and Toni smiles to herself before winking to Betty.

“Now apologise to each other and then come get some drinks,” she orders, disappearing back into the room. Left in a sudden, uncomfortable silence, Cheryl and Archie mumble weak apologies to one another. In a failed attempt not to listen, Betty stands there tugging the hem of her sleeves, observing the floor beneath her.

“Betty, I’m sorry,” Cheryl says, sounding much more sincere than she had when addressing Archie. “We shouldn’t have behaved like that.”

“It— it’s okay,” Betty stammers, not sure what else she could say. “Do you think we should go in now?”

Cheryl nods, holding her hand out to Betty. She leads her down the hall, Archie following silently behind them. As they enter the room, Betty looks around in surprise, not having expected them to have an actual bar in their home. It looked almost exactly like one from the movies, neon signs on the wall, tall stools along the counter, and Betty’s personal favorite: pool tables. There was a group of older men gathered around one to their left, a pitcher of beer on the table next to them. They rounded the corner on their right towards the bar. Toni came up to greet them from behind the counter.

“Glad you two were able to resolve your differences,” she says, before giving Cheryl a quick kiss over the bartop. Betty quickly looks away, trying not to be rude. She feels her stomach drop when she sees a familiar looking man hunched over a book at the end of the bar. As if he could feel her gaze on him he looks up, their eyes meeting for only a moment before Betty looks away. She watches Toni prepare a drink, attempting to distract herself. It takes everything in her power not to think about the man who had yelled at her this morning, the very handsome man who was now sitting at the end of the bar, still staring at her.

“Is he in any better of a mood?” Cheryl asks, nodding her head in his direction. Betty doesn’t even need to look to know who the woman was referring to.

“Jug? Please, when is he ever in a better mood?” Toni muses as she hands the drink she was making to Cheryl with a wink. She then passes a beer to Archie who was sitting silently beside them, still sulking. “Would you like something to drink, Betty?”

“Oh yes, please,” Betty responds quickly. “Can I have some water?”

“Where’s the fun in that?” a deep voice says behind her. She turns around to see a burly man towering over her, a smirk on his face. From her seat on the barstool, he's easily a foot taller than her, making her suddenly feel very small. Her face grows warm under his intense brown eyes. “The name’s Sweetpea, pleased to meet ya.”

“Betty,” she says, holding her hand out without even thinking. He smirks as he notices the gesture, gently taking her hand in his own. She let her eyes wander over his strong features to the dangerous looking snake tattoo sitting on the skin just above his collar. She nearly jumps when Cheryl speaks, startling her back to reality.

“God can you be any more transparent?” Cheryl says with a smirk, after having observed the exchange. “Betty, promise me you’ll stay away from this vulture.”

“Hey now, play nice,” he jests in mock hurt, winking at Betty before turning to Archie. “Hey Red, how do you feel about getting your ass kicked in pool?”

“You’re on,” he challenges, speaking for the first time since his shouting match with Cheryl. He grabs his beer from the bartop, chugging it quickly before returning the glass to Toni for a refill.

“Would you do me the honor of joining us, Betty?” Sweetpea offers, taking a sip of his beer. “You could be my personal cheerleader.”

“Don’t worry, there won’t be anything to cheer for,” Archie assures her smugly, quickly adopting the same playful attitude he’d had before.

Betty smiles hopefully at Cheryl and Toni, as if asking their permission. Cheryl rolls her eyes and lets out an exasperated sigh, before waving her hand towards the pool tables, signaling for her to go. Betty can’t help but clutch her hands to her chest happily. She looks hesitantly at Toni, biting her lip before she speaks. “So, on second thought, maybe I do want to have a drink.”

“Like a coke or something?” Toni asks as she grabs a glass from the rack.

“I was hoping for something… stronger,” Betty says sheepishly. Toni raises a brow at her in surprise.

“Alright,” she agrees with a laugh. “What do you want?”

“Oh, uh I don’t know. I guess whatever you recommend?”

“I like a girl with a wildside,” Sweetpea comments, placing a large hand on her shoulder. In that moment she’s acutely aware of the set of eyes once again on her from down the bar, a chill running up her spine. _Why did he keep staring at her?_ She did her best not to look, instead focusing on the way Cheryl stirred the straw in her drink, the ice clinking against the glass.

“While you’re at it, I’ll take another,” Sweetpea adds, sliding his empty glass across the counter towards Toni. She rolls her eyes and walks away, glass in hand. A moment later she returns with their drinks, handing a beer to Sweetpea and giving Betty a drink that resembles iced tea. She furrows her brow at the drink, taking a hesitant sip. She makes a face as the alcohol burns her throat, half expecting that Toni had given her regular tea. She takes another large gulp before stealing a glance down the bar at the man who still had not taken his eyes off of her. Immediately feeling the intense need to get out of there, she takes Sweetpea’s hand from her shoulder and pulls him across the room to the pool tables.

Archie follows after, and Cheryl and Toni watch the three approach the open table, now conversing enthusiastically. Cheryl takes a sip of her drink before turning to face Toni. “I’ll go keep an eye on her, she’ll be fine.”

She nods at her with a smile, “okay, but babe? Behave, I don’t wanna have to kick you and Archie out again, okay?”

“Yes, mon amour,” Cheryl sighs, blowing Toni a kiss. As she stands up to leave, she pauses a moment, turning to her left. “Care to join, Jug?”

He looks up from his book and stares at her blankly before muttering, “what?”

“Would you like to come play pool with us?” she clarifies.

He thinks about the offer as his eyes wander towards the pool tables. His gaze stops on Betty, who stood leaning against a bar stool, her slender legs on display. God she was beautiful. She was stunning, really, and he was a complete asshole to her. Cheryl clears her throat, pulling him from his thoughts. He grunts a nearly inaudible _no_ and returns his focus to his book.

“Fine, suit yourself,” she says with a shrug, taking a sip of her drink and walking away to join Betty and the boys across the room. She was pleased to see that Betty had already made herself comfortable at the table closest to the boys’ game and that they were all getting along; it was the happiest she had seen her all day.

••• ••• •••

By the time Sweetpea and Archie were almost done with their first game, Betty was already on her third drink and the men at the other pool table had gone their separate ways, most of them leaving the room. She had been sitting next to Cheryl getting to know one another, though given the circumstances, it was mostly Betty getting to know Cheryl. Between conversation, she found it amusing just to watch the boys taunt each other. Cheryl had even made the occasional wise crack when one of them made a bad shot. When she excused herself to get a refill, Sweetpea came and leant his arm next to where Betty was seated. Archie had been set up so perfectly that there was no way he could lose.

“Ya know, I only lost because you didn’t cheer for me,” he informs her before finishing his beer. He sets the empty glass down on the table, looking to the bar to see Cheryl now sitting at the counter, drink in hand as she talks to Toni.

“Well, you didn’t exactly give me anything to cheer for, did you?” Betty replies, bringing his attention back to her. He earns a giggle when he points his finger at her, pretending to be upset at the remark.

“Oh because you could do better?” he challenges, angling the pool cue towards her.

“I dunno,” she says with a shrug. “I’ve never tried; but yeah I probably could.”

“Woah now,” Archie chimes in. “I won fair and square so I still have next game.”

“Do you wanna play doubles?” a female voice asks, approaching from the bar. Betty leans around Sweetpea to find the source.

“Why, admitting you can’t beat me by yourself?” Archie replies to the young woman, bringing a finger menacingly towards her nose. She scrunches her face at him, pushing his arm away from her before running her hand through her long, dark locks. Betty can’t help but wonder if she’s met this girl before, a trace of recognition tugging at her mind.

“I’m in,” she found herself saying, suddenly feeling uncharacteristically outgoing. She didn’t know if it was because she was now four drinks deep and most likely drunk or if it was something else entirely, but this girl gave Betty a good feeling and she decided in that moment that they were going to be friends. She hops off the bar stool and moves so that Sweetpea is no longer between her and her new best friend. “Be on my team?”

She hears a disappointed sigh from behind her, causing her to look over her shoulder. Sweetpea looks at her in mock hurt, placing his free hand to his heart, the other still holding the pool cue.

“You’re picking someone you’ve never met before over me?” he questions, giving her his best puppy dog eyes.

Without missing a beat, Betty turns her attention back to the girl before introducing herself. “Hi, I’m Betty; nice to meet you!”

“Jellybean,” the girl replies with a small laugh, immediately catching onto Betty’s inebriated state.

Betty turns back to Sweetpea and sticks her tongue out at him, “There, now we’ve met. So, are we playing or are you scared?”

“Are you really gonna take that, Pea,” Archie adds, knowing it won’t take much more to get under the man’s skin. “You can sit this one out, if you want. I’m good enough for the both of us.”

“Yeah, yeah, you just got lucky,” Sweetpea muttered as he peered into his empty cup, forgetting he’d already finished his drink.

“Why don’t you ladies rack ‘em up and we’ll go get some refills,” Archie proposes, patting a disgruntled Sweetpea on the back before turning to Jellybean. “JB, do you want anything?”

“Yeah, actually, can you get me a water?” she requests.

Without thinking Betty gasps, putting her hands on the woman’s shoulders before blurting out in disgust, “Jailbait?? They call you _Jailbait_?”

Jellybean mirrored her stance, her arms wrapping around Betty’s as she placed her hands on her shoulders. The two men had burst out laughing and Betty felt her already flushed cheeks grow warmer.

“Betty, sweetie,” Jellybean says, looking into her bloodshot green eyes. “It’s my nickname. My name is Jellybean. Jelly. Bean. JB. It’s okay.”

She smiles as Betty’s eyes search her face, trying to decide if she was telling the truth. The moment the lightbulb appeared over Betty’s head, she hid her face in her hands, shaking her head in embarrassment.

“Oh my god. I am so dumb,” she says, a small giggle escaping her. “I’m never this dumb. Am I drunk? I don’t think I’ve been drunk before.”

By the time she’d finished talking she was in a full blown fit of laughter, bouncing giddily. Jellybean couldn’t help but join in her laughter, shaking her head in defeat as she called across the now empty room to the boys heading for the bar.

“Hey Arch, Betty wants a rum and coke!”

Betty looks at her in surprise, trying her best to contain her giggles when Jellybean gives her a quick _hush_.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” he questions her. Betty turns to face Archie, willing herself to maintain her composure. She feels a small sting her in her gut when she looks to the mostly empty counter to see only Cheryl and Toni seated. She shakes her head slightly before answering.

“Yeah, I’m great!” she assures him, a wide grin on her face as she places an arm around Jellybean in an attempt to steady herself. He cocks his head to the side, unsure of whether or not to believe her, ultimately shrugging before joining Sweetpea at the bar. She turns her face towards Jellybean and mumbles under her breath.

“Are you sure I’m good?”

Jellybean laughs, reaching her arm across her chest to pat Betty’s hand.

“You? Definitely not. Me, on the other hand? Well, I don’t want to be.”

“Then why didn’t you just ask for it yourself?” Betty asks her in bewilderment.

She hesitates a moment before answering, letting out a nervous chuckle as she speaks, “I’m not really supposed to drink except for special occasions, so Toni probably wouldn’t have given it to me.”

“Why not?” she asks, still not understanding.

“My dad,” Jellybean says matter of factly, as if that would answer all of her questions. When Betty continued to stare at her in confusion, she added, “he doesn’t really want me drinking until I’m twenty-one… so two more years. Everyone else was allowed to drink at eighteen, but nooo. Since my brother waited, now I have to.”

“Oh,” is all Betty manages to say before the boys return, drinks in hand.

“Wow, you guys couldn’t even rack it,” Archie sighs with a shake of his head, setting the drinks down on the table. “I’m disappointed in you two.”

He starts to hand the rum and coke to Betty when Jellybean intercepts the drink, instead handing Betty the water she had been given by Sweetpea.

“I’ll take that,” she says with a smile, giving Betty a little nudge. “Did I say that was what Betty wanted, I meant that’s what _I_ wanted.”

“Well, well, aren’t you sneaky,” Archie commends her, tipping his drink towards her. “But if you get caught, I know nothing.”

“Naturally,” she says, winking at him over her glass. “So, shall we get this thing moving? I’m not sure how much longer this one is gonna last.”

She nods her head towards Betty who is hunched over at the table, resting her chin in the crook of her elbow. She looks up lazily at the motion, a flush creeping across her face when she realises they’re all looking at her.

“What?” she asks innocently, stifling a yawn. “I’m totally good. Promise.”

Sweetpea rolls his eyes, pointing to her water sitting on the table next to her.

“Drink,” he tells her with authority, despite the smile playing at his eyes. “Then get over here so we can play this game and get you to bed.”

She mostly does as she’s told, quickly drinking about half of the glass before walking back over to Jellybean. He starts to make a face at her, but stops when he realises that she isn’t paying attention to him, too busy playing with Jellybean’s hair. Sweetpea and Archie end up playing each other again, this game going much quicker than the first. Jellybean and Betty hardly pay attention, too busy keeping each other entertained with silly jokes and random observations. Betty throws her arms around Jellybean, loosley pinning her arms to her side.

“We need to hang out again,” she mumbles, leaning her head on Jellybean’s shoulder. “Can we hang out tomorrow?”

Jellybean reaches her hands up, patting Betty’s arm.

“Duh, of course we can hang out tomorrow!” Jellybean replies excitedly. Sweetpea shoots her an envious look, as if blaming her for stealing Betty’s attention. If only he knew.

“It looks like someone here might have had a little too much fun,” Cheryl infers sweetly, placing a hand on Betty’s back as she walks up from the bar. “Are you ready to go upstairs, Betty?”

Betty looks around, surprised to see the boys cleaning up their glasses and that the lights on the wall were already off.

“Yeah, that’s probably a good idea,” she agrees, giving Jellybean a goodnight squeeze before shifting herself to hang onto Cheryl. “Goodnight everyone, it was nice to meet you!”

Toni and Cheryl help to make sure that Betty survives to see the top of the staircase, suddenly wishing they hadn’t let her have that last drink. Once they get her to her room, they help her change, mostly just making sure that she doesn’t fall asleep in the restroom. After she’s settled into bed, she sighs contentedly and snuggles herself further into the sheets.

“Thank you,” she murmurs, her voice heavy with sleep. “I didn’t get to say it last night, but thank you. I don’t deserve you beautifully... uh... beautiful and nice... and amazing people, like you guys are honestly... just so great and I don’t think I’ll ever… be able… to…..”

Her words grew quieter and slowly drifted apart as she gave in to sleep’s welcoming embrace, a smile lingering on her face. If only she knew what tomorrow had in store for her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! First off, I am so sorry that I'm posting a week late; things have been a bit hectic for me in the real world lately. That being said, I admittedly found this chapter particularly difficult for me to write as it had a lot of introductions and setting and a lot less... action. I have a tendency to delve into too much detail, but I tried really hard to maintain a good balance. I hope that it was enjoyable to read, and rest assured that I have some fun things planned for the near future! As always, feel free to reach out to me on tumblr at 1ndecentstories with any questions or concerns!
> 
> Just as a warning: I'm probably updating the story summary some time this week so if it looks different, don't be concerned!


	5. Memory

_Tuesday, October 30, 2018_

 

Jughead rolls onto his side with a quiet groan, resigning himself to staring out the window for a few minutes before he has to face the world. He didn’t sleep well, unable to silence the cacophony of thoughts clamoring for his attention. Why did everything have to happen right now? He had too much on his plate as it was, but he couldn’t seem to catch a break. He freezes at a knock on the door of his apartment, followed by the sound of the door opening with a click. He exhales in frustration, running his hand down his face roughly. Damn, he really can’t catch a fucking break.

“Boy, you up?” a gruff voice bellows from the living room. Getting out of bed and rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he throws on the first shirt he finds laying on the floor before opening the door of his messy bedroom.

“Yeah sure dad, come on in,” Jughead grumbles sarcastically, walking around the corner and directly into the kitchen without so much as a glance in his father's direction. He starts the coffee pot before rummaging around in the cupboard and setting two coffee mugs on the peninsula separating the kitchen from the living room. “I knew I should’ve changed the locks.”

“Good morning to you, too,” his father replies, matching Jughead’s unamused tone as he takes a seat across from where his son is standing before crossing his arms on the countertop in front of him.

“I suppose there’s a reason you’re here?” Jughead prompts, not in the mood for small talk. He grabs the coffee pot, pouring a cup for each of them before looking at his father. The older man clears his throat and takes a sip of his coffee.

“The girl.”

“What girl?” Jughead asks dryly, though he already knows exactly who his father is referring to.

“Don’t get smart with me, boy,” the older man warns, watching as Jughead downs his coffee in two gulps before pouring himself another. “You know exactly ‘what girl’. What the hell are ya gonna do with her?”

“What do you mean?”

“What do I mean? I _mean_ ; are you letting her stay here? Are you telling her the truth about us, who we are? She could be dangerous.”

“She’s not dangerous,” he replies simply.

His father scoffs, clearly not satisfied with the lack of answers.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do yet,” Jughead adds with as casual of a shrug as he can manage. “I’ll figure something out.”

“Great fucking plan,” he snorts. “You don’t know shit about this girl or even what she’s running from. Do you really wanna risk bringing that shit here, to your front door? You don’t even know what you’re up against. Midge is dead because of her and now you’re putting everyone else in danger— your sister— in danger. And for what; some stranger?”

“It’s the right thing to do.”

“Yeah, right boy; you keep telling yourself that. You’re not that stupid. I know you saw the cuts and shit on her and that was clearly intentional. You want to risk someone doing that to Jellybean?”

“What do you want me to do?” Jughead questions in a raised voice, finally losing patience for his father’s prodding. “Kick her out? Leave her on the streets?”

The man sits in silence, his brow furrowed as he stares into his now empty mug. He sighs and scratches at his beard. Jughead feels the anger boiling inside of him at his father’s sudden silence. He just _had_ to start this conversation and now he has nothing to say? Bullshit. Before he has a chance to snap, his father speaks, catching him off guard.

“Say you’re right,” he offers, the edge less apparent in his voice. Jughead raises his eyebrows at him from over his mug. “What are ya gonna do about tomorrow?”

“What do you mean?” Jughead asks curiously, genuinely unsure of what his father was getting at.

“You’re kidding right?” his father replies incredulously. “The damn ball, boy. What are you going to do with her during the ball?”

Shit. He hadn’t thought about that— it was a good question.

“I’m thinking about it,” he lies, hoping his father will drop it at that. He then takes a sip of his coffee to signal that he’s done talking about it. With a gruff nod, the man finally stands up and walks to the door, speaking to Jughead once more before turning the knob.

“Fine, but if you don’t make a choice by tonight, I’m doing it for you. Don’t forget boy, you’re not in charge yet.”

“Three more days,” he reminds his father flatly. His father snorts loudly, pulling the door closed behind him as he leaves Jughead alone in the apartment.

Traditionally, a new serpent leader takes over at midnight on their twenty-fifth birthday; the catch being that the current leader— in this case the one and only FP Jones— has to declare their successor fit after a year long ‘trial’. On Jughead’s twenty-fourth birthday, his father had made it very clear that if he wanted to become the leader, he had to get his temper in check. So for the past year his father has been second guessing him at every turn, trying to get under his skin. He’s made it through the past 362 days without losing his cool around serpent business, he can do it for three more days. He doesn’t have another choice.

 

••• ••• •••

 

“Oh my god do you _have_ to pound on the door so early in the morning?” Betty grumbles, pulling the pillow up over her head as she hears the door open.

“Please, I barely tapped it,” Toni notes with a smirk.

Betty groans at her in response as she peers out from under her pillow, squinting harshly in the morning light. She sees Toni standing in the doorway and can barely make out another figure standing behind her.

“Besides, you have a visitor,” Toni informs her.

Before Betty has a chance to ask who it is, Jellybean pushes her way into the room under Toni’s arm. She plops herself down on the bed, causing the mattress to bounce with the added weight. Betty’s stomach churns at the motion.

“Good morning!” Jellybean chirps happily, propping herself up on her elbow. Toni walks into the room and takes a seat on the end of Betty’s bed, a water bottle in her hands. Betty smiles at the women, pushing herself up into a sitting position despite the way her head swims.

“Here, I thought you might be thirsty,” she offers, handing the bottle to Betty before offering her two white tablets. “And some ibuprofen; for your head.”

“Thank you,” Betty croaks, grateful for the water to alleviate the burn in her throat.

“So Cheryl and I were thinking that if you’re feeling up to it, maybe we could take you out shopping today,” Toni says after a moment, smiling at her. “We want to get you some clothes and things to help make you feel more at home here.”

Betty looks at her in surprise, smiling sheepishly. She always felt weird when people were nice to her and she found she was never quite sure how to react.

“Oh my gosh, can I come too? Please?” Jellybean begs, clasping her hands in front of her as she beams at Toni.

“Please,” Betty adds with a smile, copying Jellybean’s begging position. “I would really like that.”

“Sure, I don’t see why not,” Toni says with a shrug of her shoulders. “Does that mean you’re feeling up for it?”

“Yes, of course! Thank you so much,” Betty replies earnestly, feeling oddly excited. As much as she enjoyed the serpents’ home, she was curious to see more of the outside world. She had started to collect vague memories of her life before, but they all felt distant. It was as if someone had explained parts of her life to her, but they weren’t really paying attention when it was happening.

“So are we going to the mall?” Jellybean asked giddily, her blue eyes bouncing excitedly between Betty and Toni.

“Betty?” Toni concedes with a smile.

“Oh, I don’t know,” she hesitates, pursing her lips. She sighs and looks down, unable to make eye contact with Jellybean’s hopeful stare. “Malls can be a little… too crowded, for my taste.”

“That’s fine; we can go to Target or something!” Jellybean offers, still just as excited. Betty feels herself relax, unaware she was tensing in the first place.

“Target sounds good to me,” she agrees with a smile, not wanting to burden them with the fact that she doesn’t know what ‘Target’ is.

“Alright, Target it is,” Toni says, standing up from the bed. “Let us know when you’re ready. Cheryl and I are making dinner tonight, so we have to be back by four thirty.”

“Okay, I’ll get ready now,” Betty says, her head feeling much better than it had before, the medicine finally kicking in. “Would that be okay to go in about half an hour?”

“Of course; we’ll be in the living room whenever you’re ready!”

Jellybean follows Toni off the bed and out of the room, leaving Betty to get ready. She quickly showered and washed her hair, blow drying it haphazardly before pulling it up into a messy ponytail. She then pulled on a plain white v-neck with her shorts from the night before, checking herself in the mirror for any evidence that the pants were dirty. She stops, noting the fading bruises on her legs. Though the cuts still appear fresh on her thighs and the scrapes of her knees are still scabbed, she’s relieved that the cut on her cheek is almost completely gone. She looks down at her exposed arms, the cuts deeper than those on her legs and thus more prominent. It was almost like they were taunting her.

She grabs a cardigan from the drawer of clothes Toni had given her and pulls in carefully over her arms. When she finally convinces herself that she’s okay, she takes a deep breath to calm herself before heading out into the living room, ready to face the outside world.

 

••• ••• •••

 

“I’ve been practicing, please?” Jellybean pleads, running her fingers through the ends of Betty’s hair. “Please can I braid it? I wanna do a fishtail for you!”

“I like my ponytail,” Betty replies, both unsure of what else to say and what exactly a ‘fishtail’ was.

“Please, please just trust me!” Jellybean insists. Betty carefully removes her hair tie, letting her hair fall just below her shoulder blades. She shifts, allowing Jellybean a better angle.

“Okay, so maybe your hair is longer than I thought it was,” Jellybean observes, playing with the ends of Betty’s hair. “Damn, this is going to take too long. Don’t worry, I have another idea!”

Jellybean excitedly pulls Betty’s head back, grabbing a small section of the hair framing her face. She makes a loose french braid towards the crown of her head before pulling the rest of Betty’s hair back up into a ponytail, leaving a few wisps to frame her face. She then gives a few quick tugs the top third of the ponytail to make it a little messier.

“Voila,” Jellybean says excitedly, taking a picture with her phone to show Betty.

“It looks great, Jelly,” Cheryl tells her sweetly, turning to face them from the front seat. “You look really nice, Betty.”

“Thanks Cheryl,” Betty replies, not sure of the last time someone complimented her. She looks away sheepishly, playing with the hem of her shorts. Jellybean then shows her the picture and she can’t help but smile. “I love it, Jellybean, really.”

“I told you to trust me,” Jellybean beams in response, clearly pleased with herself.

“We’re here,” Toni informs them as she pulls that car into park.

“Can we look at clothes first?” Jellybean asks the second that they’re out of the car. “Betty we have to get something to match!”

“JB are you going to be this annoying all day?” Toni asks her teasingly.

“Probably,” she says with a shrug. She bounds off into the store, heading straight for the Halloween items. Betty feels a gentle hand on her shoulder guiding her out of the way, suddenly aware of the fact that she had stopped directly in the doorway. She absently steps in the direction that Cheryl leads her, still in awe of the aisles that seem to carry on forever. She can’t shake the feeling that she’s been here before, trying desperately to remember.

“Are you okay, Betty?” Cheryl asks quietly, her hand still on Betty’s shoulder.

“Yeah…,” she says distractedly, trailing off as her eyes land on a small food bar near the entrance. It smells like popcorn. Without thinking she begins to walk towards it, unaware of the group of people walking towards her.

“Excuse you,” one of them says as they bump into an oblivious Betty. She stops and immediately turns red as the rest of the group parts around her and walks out the door. Another girl huffs, “God; watch where you’re walking much?”

“Sorry,” Betty barely whispers, long after the doors have already closed.

“Betty, really, are you okay?” Cheryl asks, her voice laced with worry.

“We can go home if you want to,” Toni offers from her side. Betty finally looks up at the two women and instantly feels foolish. What was she thinking?

“Yeah, I’m fine,” she says, sounding more confident. “I just… I thought I remembered something and I got a little distracted, that’s all.”

“It’s okay, you don’t have to apologise,” Cheryl reassures her.

“All of these stores look the same, don’t they,” Betty asks, her stomach twisting slightly. “That’s why I feel like I’ve been here before?”

“Probably,” Toni says softly, her eyes gentle as she puts an arm around Betty.

“Can I get a ring?” Betty asks suddenly, her voice soft. Her finger felt noticeably bare and she felt like she had to be doing something with her hands, anything to keep her from digging her nails into her palm.

“Of course, Betty, if that’s what you want.”

“Thank you,” she says with a smile, leaning into Toni.

“I’ll stay over here with Jellybean,” Cheryl says, giving Betty a squeeze on the shoulder before walking away.

“So what kind of ring are we looking for?” Toni asks as the two women make their way towards a hanging sign that reads _Jewelry_.

“Something simple,” Betty replies. “Just something that I can spin.”

Toni smiles at her knowingly, walking up to one of the rotating cases sitting on the jewelry counter.

“Gold or Silver?” she asks, spinning the case.

“Silver, definitely,” Betty replies. She walks to the other case, rotating it until she finds the rings.

“What about an infinity knot?” Toni offers, motioning towards one of the rings.

“Mmm, I think I’d prefer something… flatter.”

Her eyes roam the case, drawn to a dainty ring with a feather engraving across the top. She’s almost settled on that one when she catches a glimpse of a ring on another side of the case that Toni is investigating. She walks over to it, leaning on the counter to get a better look. It’s a simple silver ring with the outline of a small, three pronged crown. It’s perfect.

“This one,” Betty says confidently, pointing to the case. The points appeal to her, certain to provide a different texture for her to focus on. Toni waves over the attendant, asking to try the ring on before they decide. Much to Betty’s delight, it fits well, and as she expected, the points are calming to run her thumb over. Toni pays for the ring as Betty stands there, watching the way it shines as she spins it around her finger.

“Thank you so much, I love it,” Betty gushes when Toni comes to stand next to her. “I’ll pay you back as soon as I can.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Toni assures her with a smile, pleased to see Betty so happy. “It’s a gift. Let’s go back to the others.”

Betty nods as they begin walking back towards the entrance of the store. They can hear Jellybean before they see her, unsurprised to find that they’ve yet to move from the rack they were looking at before.

“Betty, look!” Jellybean squeals excitedly from the rack as they approach, holding up two Halloween sweaters. “These are perfect, we have to get them!”

“Oh… I don’t know,” Betty hesitates, finding them a little… childish.

“Please, they’re so cute,” Jellybean gushes, holding them up. The sweaters are identical with the exception of color; one is purple and the other orange, but both have  a large Jack-O-Lantern face across the chest with a heart shaped nose. “The orange one would look so good on you!”

Betty takes the sweater Jellybean is now holding out to her before lifting it against her chest.

“That actually is pretty cute,” Toni says with a grin, giving Cheryl a little nudge. “Right, Cheryl?”

Cheryl sighs before looking at Betty carefully for a moment, her red lips pursed.

“I would never be caught dead in it,” she starts, a smile teasing in her eyes. “But I must admit— I don’t hate it.”

“Wow, with an endorsement like that how could I not get it?” Betty jokes, pleased to find herself growing more and more comfortable with these wonderful people. “Let’s find a fitting room?”

“What?” Jellybean exclaims in surprise. “You don’t want to get anything else?”

“Oh, uhm… I can get other things? Are you sure?”

“Of course, Betty,” Cheryl chuckles. “You can’t just wear one sweater and some of Toni’s old clothes forever.”

Betty can’t help but smile, she feels so lucky to have such wonderful people to take care of her.

“Get whatever you like,” Toni adds. “We’re not too worried about you going overboard. Jellybean on the other hand?”

She shoots her a teasing look and Jellybean grins at her in response. She did have a tendency to get a bit overzealous sometimes.

“So what, seven outfits?” Betty asks, feeling as though she needs a firm number of some sort. That alone would easily be a couple hundred dollars, and she sure as hell didn’t have any money.

“Betty,” Cheryl insists, a firmness in her voice. “Truly, just pick out whatever you like and we’ll go from there. I promise you, we’re good for it.”

“Thank you so much,” Betty replies quietly, shifting her weight between her feet. She sniffles slightly before looking up and away, nonchalantly wiping a rogue tear from her face. Cheryl notices the action and gives her a small hug.

“Toni and I are going to go get some snacks and things while you look, do you guys want anything specific?” She asks.

“I want milk and oreos!” Jellybean shouts giddily, bouncing slightly on her heels. “Oooh and chocolate syrup!”

“Do you want popcorn or something Betty?” Toni asks, her eyebrows raised. Betty immediately finds her eyes drawn back to the food bar by the entrance, her mother’s words ringing in her ears.

 

_“Do you want popcorn or to be skinny, Elizabeth?” her mother hissed, her green eyes flaring with anger, the smell of alcohol fresh on her breath. “Because you can’t have both. I mean, look at you, you’re already gaining weight. Have you seen your legs?”_

_Betty stared at the ground, her nails embedded in her palms as she willed herself not to cry. She was about to go into her senior year of high school for god’s sake, she was too old to cry. She should have known that back to school shopping alone with her mother would be like this. In past years she had always just fawned over Polly, leaving Betty to go pick her own clothes, so long as it didn’t cost more than one hundred dollars._

_“This is why you should have done cheerleading like Polly instead of that sorry excuse for a school newspaper. The newspaper, Betty! God forbid you do something active and get off your ass for once.”_

 

“Hello, Earth to Betty?” Jellybean asks, her hand inches from Betty’s face. Betty steps back in surprise, shaking her head slightly. “You okay, space cadet?”

“Oh… yeah, I’m great,” she replies. “Sorry, I just got a little, uhm, distracted. What did you say?”

“We just asked if you wanted any snacks,” Cheryl says slowly, looking at Betty as if she might break. “But we can stay here with you….”

“Oh, no thank you, I’m okay. You don’t have to do that, I’m fine. Really.”

Toni and Cheryl exchange a skeptical look before looking Betty over once more. They offer her a small smile.

“Okay,” Toni agrees. “We’ll grab a few things and meet you back here; then we can go look at some things for your room, okay?”

Betty nods at them, smiling at their generosity. She watches them walk away, tears threatening to spill from her eyes once more. These two women cared about her so much it overwhelmed her. She couldn’t help but wonder if they cared more than her own mother ever did. Her heart sinks a little at the thought; did she even know she was gone? Hell, would she even care?

“Honestly, Betty, are you okay?” Jellybeans asks quietly once the other two women are out of earshot. Betty looks at her with an emotion somewhere between pain and longing dancing behind her smile.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” she insists. “I’m just a little out of it, that’s all.”

“Okay,” Jellybean concedes, not fully buying it. Betty will talk about it when she wants to, and the middle of a store probably isn’t the best place to get into the details of it. She decides it'll be best for her to try and keep things light and fun, smiling at her before continuing. “Let’s get some stuff to try on before they get back, then.”

 

••• ••• •••

 

By the time they’re done Betty is exhausted, both mentally and physically, from trying to keep herself together. She must have spent more money than she can imagine herself having ever spent before, the total of the day’s purchases easily around three hundred dollars. Cheryl and Toni had refused to let her know the exact amount, banishing her and Jellybean to the car while they checked out, though Betty had been keeping a running approximation in her head. They had even offered to buy her a phone, but she told them it wasn’t necessary; it’s not like she had any connections in the outside world, anyway.

Once they were home and Betty had taken everything up to her room with the help of the others, Cheryl and Toni went downstairs to prepare dinner. Jellybean helped Betty unpack and get everything settled in before plopping down on the bed with a sigh.

“Well that was fun,” she says happily. “Do you know what you’re going to wear to dinner?”

“I was just gonna wear this,” Betty mumbles as she looks down at herself, a little confused by the question.

“What? No, no, no! You just got all of these cute new clothes and you just want to wear a white v-neck and shorts?”

“Well, yeah?”

“Unacceptable!” Jellybean exclaims, jumping into action. She bounds over to Betty’s closet before pulling out a long sleeved, olive green dress. “This; you have to wear it.”

“I don’t remember choosing that,” Betty states, her brow furrowed at the short garment. It was barely long enough to keep her covered, and she feared the slightest breeze would expose her for the world to see— not to mention that the back itself was a gaping cut out.

“I may have snuck it in the cart anyway,” Jellybean admits, a sly grin on her face. Betty gives her an inquisitive look, a hint of annoyance beginning to show. She really isn’t in the mood for this right now. “Oh come on, you’ll look absolutely stunning in it! Have you _seen_ your legs?”

“Unfortunately, yes,” Betty sighs, fighting the urge to roll her eyes. In that moment it hits her. She has to get out of there and she has to do it now. All she wants is to be alone.

“Wai—,” Jellybean starts, an uncharacteristic frown upon her face.

“I’m going to take a walk,” Betty blurts, not even letting Jellybean finish before she rushes from the room and out of the apartment, the door slamming behind her with a resounding thud. She rounds the corner and practically flings herself down the stairs into the foyer, desperate to be outside and as far away from people as possible. She looks to the sliding glass doors leading out the back in consideration, though the voices wafting from the kitchen encourage her to go out the front instead. Opening the door just wide enough for her body, she slips through quickly, latching the door quietly behind her.

Without even thinking, the moment the doorknob is out of her hand she takes off running, jumping down the porch steps as if they were nothing and taking off around the East side of the house so she won’t be seen from the kitchen. She hears footsteps on the porch followed by Jellybean’s voice calling her name when she notices a small parting in the trees, almost as if calling to her. She follows the faint trail directing her into the dense foliage. She treads carefully in an attempt to remain undiscovered, ultimately deciding to stop for a moment behind a large tree until she’s sure she isn't being followed.

After a few minutes her breathing calmed and she no longer hears Jellybean. She sighs and lets herself relax back against the tree, resting her head against the trunk to stare up into the canopy of red and orange leaves above. It’s peaceful, just sitting there listening to the gentle rustle of the leaves above and to the birds singing to one another. And then there’s a wail; the sound one makes when they feel truly and utterly lost in the world. She feels her tears land hard on her bare thighs, holding them against her chest, realising the sound came from her.

Placing her elbows on her knees she wraps her arms around her face in an attempt to stifle the next sob that was trying to tear her apart. She realises then that if she stays here, surely someone will find her. She’s too close to the house still, they would definitely hear her if they came looking. With a few deep breaths to calm her heaving chest, she pushes herself upright. She adjusts her shorts and wipes the dirt from her rear before venturing further down the inconspicuous trail. At least this way she knows that she can find her way out of the grove.

She doesn’t know what to think when the trail opens into a small clearing. There’s a red bench with a black crown spray painted on it sitting under the single large oak tree in the middle of the clearing. How the hell did that get here? As she walks towards the bench, she hears the sound of moving water, a small pond coming into view. The pond is relatively large, maybe around ten feet across in the largest parts. It doesn't appear to be too deep, and is littered with large, flat rocks sticking out of the water. It clearly isn’t a natural pond, a small pump providing the slow current of the water. She decides that she likes this place, this quiet little sanctuary in the trees.

Betty sits down gingerly on the wooden bench, feeling as if she were somehow intruding. Someone clearly cared about this place, it appeared well maintained. Despite the falling leaves the pond was mostly clear of debris and the bench was free of grime. She allowed herself to relax, letting out a shaky breath. Maybe her mom was right, maybe she should have done something more active. She lets out a harsh chuckle. Her first solid memory back and it’s of her insufferable, alcoholic mother. Isn’t she lucky. She tried to think about Polly, to imagine what her sister looked like, anything. All she could picture was a generic blonde female in a High School Cheerleading outfit.

The tears begin to fall once more and she pulls her legs up onto the bench, her knees held tightly to her chest. She buries her face, her forehead resting on her knees as she finally lets the emotions of the day run rampant through her. She cries for her sister, for her father, for everything she couldn’t remember having. She cries until she feels like she can’t cry anymore, her entire body numb. She lifts her head to wipe her face, stopping short when she sees a tall figure enter the clearing. Her heart starts pounding in her ears, every instinct in her telling her to run. She begins to lower her legs, stopping only when a harsh voice cuts through the air.

“Hey, wait!” he says firmly, his hand outstretched as he approaches. She squints at him a moment before the recognition dawns on her

“What, here to yell at me some more?” she asks with a roll of her eyes as she wipes roughly at her face, relaxing back into the bench. He’s wearing the same leather jacket as before, a book tucked under one arm.

He looks uncomfortable at her remark, avoiding eye contact as he takes a seat on the opposite end of the bench. He settles down with his book, an excessively worn copy of _In Cold Blood_ , and immediately begins to read. Betty pulls her knees back up to her chest, resting her chin on them as she stares out at the pond. She sneaks a glance towards him, studying his features; the angle of his jaw, the slight slope of his nose, the way his blue eyes dance across the page in front of him. Man, how did she not notice he was _this_ good looking before? Her eyes shift away as a blush creeps up her face at the realisation that she had been staring.

“I’m sorry I took your spot,” she offers quietly after a long silence.

“Oh, it’s okay,” he says without looking up. Betty pauses a moment, his tone almost sounding like he wanted to add something more.

“It’s really nice,” she notes, unable to control herself.

“Thank you,” he mumbles, still not tearing his eyes from his book. Disappointed with the lack of engagement, Betty turns her face away, instead looking to the ground around the pond. She watches a dragonfly hover above the water, darting away when a small, pointed rock with orange spots breaks the surface. Betty sits up straighter and places a on foot on the ground, a gasp escaping her at the unexpected motion from the water.

He closes his book with a sigh, setting it in his lap and following her gaze to the pond.

“What?” he asks flatly.

“There’s something in the water,” she says, her eyes wide. Just then there’s a small splash from the pond. She looks over to see a turtle with a bright orange underside clambering onto one of the flat rocks sitting just above the water level.

“I hadn’t noticed,” he replies, staring at the turtle now happily resting on the rock. Betty bites her lip, hesitant to ask the question sitting on the tip of her tongue. She sits quietly picking at the ends of her hair for a moment, waiting to see if he opens his book up again. Once she's sure he isn’t going to— or more accurately once her curiosity gets the best of her— she decides to give in.

“Why are there turtles here? Turtles don’t normally live in the woods, do they?” she asks in confusion. He looks at her, a smirk playing at his lips. Why did she have to be so cute?

“They’re wood turtles,” he informs her, clearing his throat before continuing. “They live here. I mean, I brought them here, but this is the sort of place that they’d normally live.”

“Wood turtles?” she asks in disbelief. The corner of her mouth twitches slightly as she tries to keep a straight face, unsure of whether or not he’s joking. “You’re making that up. Why would someone call them ‘wood turtles’? That can’t be real.”

“I’m not, I swear! Why would I make that up?” he insists almost playfully, unable to keep from smiling when she lets out a small laugh. Crap. No more laughing. “I should have asked when I got here, but are you okay?”

Her face falls at the question, and he feels almost guilty for changing the subject. He watches as she twists a small ring around her finger, her eyes fixed on the turtle now basking on the rock.

“I like your ring,” he offers, wishing he hadn’t said anything in the first place.

“Thank you,” she replies, immediately folding her hands in her lap

“You don’t have to talk about it, if you don’t want to.”

“No, it’s okay,” she starts quietly, pausing to think for a minute. This wasn’t going to be easy. “It’s like… I lived my whole life knowing that the sky is blue— I understood that, I’d seen it and it made sense. Now it’s like one day I woke up and someone just told me that it was blue and I’m just expected to accept it without really seeing it for myself. Does that make sense?”

He thinks about it for a moment, unable to maintain a straight face as he tells her the truth, “No, not at all.”

She can’t help but smile slightly before letting out a heavy sigh.

“But I think I get what you mean,” he adds with a smirk.

“You’re just saying that to make me feel better,” she says over a sniffle.

“Is it working?”

She shakes her head as she allows herself a chuckle.

“Maybe,” she bites her lip. “You know, when you’re not shouting, you’re surprisingly tolerable to talk to.”

“Is that so? Too bad for you I’m rarely not shouting.”

She smiles at his response. How had she been afraid of him before? They sit in comfortable silence for a while, watching the turtles. Another had made its way out of the water and was meandering along the bank of the pond.

“My name’s Jughead, by the way,” he breaks the silence.

“I know,” she says sheepishly. He looks at her with a mix of confusion and another emotion that Betty can’t quite place before she clarifies. “Cheryl and Toni told me, I mean; sorry. I’m Betty.”

“I know,” he teases. She turns away when she feels her cheeks grow warm, a smile plastered to her face. “In fact, it’s basically the only thing I know about you.”

Her smile drops and she swallows over the lump that appeared suddenly in her throat, reality slapping her in the face.

“I know some things,” she begins hesitantly, her voice shaky. He shifts slightly so that he’s facing her, his full attention on her. She stutters under his curious gaze. “I uhm, I have two sisters— siblings. Two siblings. I have a brother and a sister. My sister’s name is Polly.”

He waits a beat to see if she’ll continue before prompting her, “and your brother?”

“I don’t remember him,” she says, a tear escaping her shining green eyes.

“Then how do you know you have a brother?”

“I just do,” she says with a shrug of her shoulders, her tears flowing freely now. “I just know things. It’s like, somebody told me about my life… and about who I am. I feel like I’m a stranger. I don’t know anything recent, I don’t think. I don’t know how I got here… or why I’m here. But I remembered something today. I remembered shopping, with my… with my mother.”

She looks into his eyes as if trying to let him to feel the storm of emotions brewing inside of her, and for a moment, he feels like he can. He curses under his breath when he notices a vibration from his pocket, demanding his attention. He looks at her apologetically, rubbing the back of his neck. She gives him a small nod and he lifts the phone to his face.

“What?” his voice is flat with only a hint of annoyance. “I found her. Okay, we’ll be there.”

He hangs up the phone as he stands, placing it back in his pocket.

“That was Cheryl, dinner’s ready,” he tells her, suddenly very cold again.

“Oh,” she’s taken aback by his drastic change of mood. She wasn’t quite ready to go face everyone, her cheeks still wet from the latest bout of tears. “I’ll be there in a bit, I just need a minute.”

He nods towards her before turning and walking from the clearing leaving Betty alone in the fading light. She curls back into herself, hugging her knees to her chest. She hadn’t realised before how tired she was, a yawn escaping her before she wipes her face carefully with the bottom of her shirt. A few minutes later, once she’s adequately calmed herself, Betty stands from the bench and stretches with a groan. She finds herself smiling as she follows the path back towards the house; she was really starting to like her new home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys; sorry for the super late update! I've decided that for my love of this story and for my sanity, I'm not going to be able to promise weekly updates. I will try to update as much as possible, however I have some work certifications to deal with coming up that will be eating a lot of my time. I really hope you all enjoyed this chapter as much as I did, it's easily my favorite so far, however the editing is a bit rough as I'm in need of a new proof reader. Anyways. As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions, comments, or concerns here or on my tumblr, 1ndecentstories! Thank you ♥


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